


when they come around

by iseemikimouse



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Aged-Up Character(s), Blood, Blood and Gore, Gore, I feel kinda mean, Kidnapping, Lots of it, M/M, Mages, Minor Character Death, Multi, Original Characters - Freeform, Poly SKZ, Shifters, Torture, beatings, but it's all 3racha, but no skz memebers die, but not by a lot, did I mention blood, elemental mage! jisung, exo is also in there bc i haven't written them in a while so they are there, half dead characters, i'll keep updating the tags as the story goes, love them too okay?, not every chapter is the same point of view, please, please save all of them, rolling pov, they're in their 20s, wolf shifter! chan, wolf shifter! changbin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2019-11-12 00:23:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18000251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iseemikimouse/pseuds/iseemikimouse
Summary: Two weeks ago, everything was normal. They giggled and wrestled as they celebrated Jeongin’s birthday in the cold, none of them minding the bite of winter. The three of them had left for only a few minutes and when they came back, nothing was like they left it. Plates and tables were thrown across the yard and snow colored red. Chan and Changbin howled at the loss of their mates while a large thunderbolt struck a few inches from where Jisung stood.May those who cross in their path die quickly because hell has no fury than when you take mates from two wolves and a mage.“And I heard as it were the noise of thunderOne of the four beasts saying come and see and I sawAnd behold a white horse...”





	1. There's a man goin' 'round takin' names, and he decides who to free and who to blame, everybody won't be treated all the same, there'll be a golden ladder reachin' down when they come around

**Author's Note:**

> welcome welcome to what i have been excited for. please be warned that this isn't a walk in the park like eight letters. oh no. this is going to be gory, gory, and gory. in this fic, i put the boys through hell and back. but remember there is no skz character death. none. (liza promises to come after me if there is). 
> 
> please please keep your eyes on the tags as they will tell what is happening or what has already happened. 
> 
> also the title and the chapter titles are from the johnny cash's the man comes around. it's like the theme song for this fic as this is a revenge fic~ 
> 
> also, it looks like this is going to be updated on thursdays since that is what today is. the only thing is that it may not be every thursday as these chapters are long and for some reason, my version of editing means to rewrite the whole chapter from scratch. i will try my very hardest but i am making no promises. 
> 
> if you would like to scream at me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/iseemikimouse), please do so. i welcome it. 
> 
> so without further ado, please enjoy my new baby~

Jisung doesn't hear Changbin's growl when he slumps the ground, not caring if he's breaking a dozen protocols when facing his boss. He can tell the man's mouth is moving, and words are being formed, but there's no sound coming into his ears. Nothing at all. 

The man on the screen glances at Jisung's slumped form and sighs before he shifts his gaze towards the other two creatures in the room. His mouth opens, but the sounds in Jisung's ears are the sounds of laughter his lovers bring to him. Instead of harsh words and uncaring department heads, he sees freckles, broad smiles, and odd colored eyes. He feels the same rush of sadness and frustration as when everything first started. 

Jisung flicks his eyes to the man on the screen and stands up quickly. The sound of silence surrounds him as he glares. 

"You're telling me," he begins when he feels warm sparks at the end of his fingertips, "that the Board deems find our mates unnecessary?"

Jisung's boss inclines his head. "My hands are tied, Jisung. I am sorry. You will continue the chase on the Red Eagles. Their word is final." The boss's gold eyes slide to Chan whose eyes are an icy blue. "Your orders will be sent to you, Captain. Follow them." 

The screen cuts out, and the room once more is filled with heavy breathing followed by silence. The organization's logo fills the projector's screen, and for a brief moment, Jisung wonders if this company really wants to protect the supernaturals like they continue to claim or to use them like everyone else. The thought angers him as his hands continue to grow warm, sending small sparks to the ground. 

He had chosen to work for this company because he thought it would help gain the trust of the nonmagical folk but if destroying an opposing force is far more important than rescuing his mates and team members, is working there really worth it? 

The sparks coming from his hands grow stronger, but before they can cause damage, larger hands grab his. He's thrown out of his thoughts and into the bright eyes of his leader, one of his older mates. He can see the worry and the anger residing in the other's eyes, and suddenly he feels ashamed. He's not the only one wanting to look for their mates. 

"Hyung," Jisung whispers, licking his lips.  "How are we going to find them?" 

Something bumps against his leg and a tongue lick his thigh, but Jisung flinches away from the touch, fearing he'd burn the wolf at his side. Changbin whines and pushes his face into Jisung's leg. 

"I don't know, Jiji," Chan says, "but we'll find them."

_ We promise Jisung _ , Changbin says at the back of his mind.

Chan lets go of his hands and runs his fingers over Jisung's mate bite. He had been doing it a lot lately both to Jisung and to Changbin, almost as if touching the scar would bring back their missing six. 

Jisung finds himself leaning into Chan's touch and finally digging his fingers into Changbin's fur, relishing in the feeling of having two of his lovers near him. 

He stares blankly at the organization's logo, a sword and a mage's staff crossed to form an X. It twirls on the screen, the sight almost mocking Jisung for his pain. He thought coming here would help him and initially, it had, but when he found his mates, his eight mates, everything changed. Jisung was no longer fighting for himself, but for the people, he fell in love with. He bares his mating bite and his mate tattoo with pride, but both of those feel cold, an emotion he's not used to having where warmth once stood. 

He feels his hand growing warm again, but it's Changbin's whine which causing Jisung to snap out of his thoughts. Chan's fingers are still ghosting his mating mark, but the leader's eyes are far away. This isn't good.

He does the only thing he can think of and grabs Chan's face, icy blue eyes meeting firey gold ones. Without a word, Jisung places his lips against Chan's in hopes of bringing his lover back to him and Changbin. Back to them so they can plan what their next move is. 

Chan doesn't kiss back right away and Jisung whines, desperate for the familiar feeling. But the next thing he knows, Chan is pressing him against the wall, thin lips bruising thicker ones. His fingers are digging into his skin which he usually complains about, but the familiar taste of mint and vanilla takes over his senses. 

A loud ding and a louder growl fill the room as Jisung and Chan part, both with flushed cheeks and half hooded eyes. They turn to the screen where a massive white envelope covers the organization's logo.

A video request. 

Odd. 

_ Jisung, _ Changbin says. 

Peeling himself away from the leader, he walks to the screen and opens the message. 

It opens into a room; all three of them are familiar with: bookcase lined walls with spines of all colors. A single desk with papers hazardously thrown across. The organization's Director, the man they just spoke to, sits and scratches the top of his head, frowning when he touches skin. He sighs and catches Jisung's eyes.

"I come with a different mission," he says, his voice no longer condensing and instead the deep timbre Jisung is used to. "One that is off the records as this goes against everything the Board has said."

Changbin growls and bares his fangs at the Director who doesn't reprimand him. Instead, he looks sad like everything the three of them is going through pains him. 

"Changbin," Chan hisses through his teeth, but the wolf pays no mind and continues to show disrespect for the man. Jisung places one of his hands on Changbin's fur, and the shifted wolf calms down instantly. 

"Calm down Binnie hyung," Jisung says quietly. "We need to hear what he says." 

_ He's going to tell us something we don't want to hear _ , Changbin snaps.  _ I want to find my mates and not go on some mission to destroy the Red Eagles. _

Chan flinches at the sharp tone Changbin uses. 

"Changbin please," Chan whispers.

"I know where your mates are," the Director says, and everyone freezes. The room becomes silent enough to hear a pin drop. 

"You what?" Chan says lowly while Jisung has half a mind to run towards the other man across the room but the soft whimpers coming Changbin forces his feet to stay. 

The Director looks tired suddenly, and Jisung knows now that the man talking to them is not the Director of the organization, but Roh Kisoo, the man who helped Jisung talk to a shy galaxy, kissed panther or helped him track down blueberry scented water. Jisung lets his guard down, and suddenly he understands. 

"You've been looking for them," he says quietly as Chan walks towards them. Immediately, he laces his finger's with Jisung's as if he was scared to lose another one of his mates. "Haven't you?" 

Kisoo nods and leans back into his chair. "Your mission was the only way I was going to be able to get you to rescue them. You will receive your mission in a few minutes, and you will report to me, anything and everything you will find." 

A big flare of hope builds in Jisung's chest when he listens to Kisoo's words. He's going to be able to bring his mates home. He's going to bring them back. Chan squeezes his fingers and Changbin shifts, the sounds of bones popping into place taking over the brief silence. 

"This may seem insensitive of me," the man on the screen continues, "but the mating of the nine of you is something no one has ever seen before. It's a bit odd, but I just want to ensure the safety of your mates." Kisoo looks down at his hands, and Jisung notices the sad look in his eyes. "I know what it's like to have them ripped from you."

_ He's lost someone, _ Changbin notes walking over and intertwining his fingers with Jisung's other hand. 

_ Not someone _ , Chan replies, the three of them watching the conflicting emotion swirling in Kisoo's eyes.  _ A mate. _

Kisoo looks up, and suddenly Jisung doesn't see a middle-aged man with a receding hairline. He sees a man not much older than himself with red hair,  heart-shaped lips, and those bright gold eyes but this man holds the same forlorn expression. 

"In your mission," the same man says much to Jisung's surprise, "you will meet Wang Eun, an informant of mine. He's one of our agents that have gone undercover at the facility. Just look for his guiding light." He looks to the side. "I don't understand that Wang Eun. How does his mate deal with him? He's so loud, that idiot." 

"Hyung," Jisung says in awe. "Who are you?" 

Kisoo turns his head sharply to the side and sighs before looking Jisung in the eyes. "I am like you, an elemental mage, but I had to teach myself changing appearances, but we'll have this conversation later. Go to Chen in the Atrium; he will provide you with anything you need." Gold eyes look into blue ones. "Get into the building. Get your mates. Let the building collapse. Get back to base. Report to me.”

“And how will we report to you?” Chan asks.

Kisoo's features shift back to normal when he smiles. "When you come back, Jisung will come and tell me everything." 

There’s a knock off screen shifting the Director’s attention to his door. His face changes again as the mask that fell forces it's way back into place. The change is too fast for Jisung to comprehend because one moment, the Director is smiling kindly at them and the next, he looks like he’s about to murder whoever is behind the door.

“Kisoo nim,” a female’s voice says, “you’re being summoned by the board.”

Kisoo looks back to the screen. “You have your orders,” drips from his lips when there's a knock on their door. 

It opens, and a tall man walks in, his sleepy eyes traveling around the room and landing on the screen behind the three of them. 

"May we help you?" Chan asks with a raised brow. He tries to stand tall like he's trying to intimidate the man when something clatters from the screen. 

Jisung whips his head around to see Director Kisoo staring with wide eyes. He glances at Jisung's questioning gaze and shuts off the screen but not without a sound that Jisung is positive is a sob. 

"My name is Kim Jongin," the man says with a lazy smile as his eyes drift away from the now empty screen. "I am here to bring you your mission and take you to Chen."

With poise Jisung wishes he could possess, Jongin walks towards the front of them and gives them their mission. It's a normal one for them, one of going in and destroying. One they're very much used to, but it's different this time. This time, they have their mates on the line, and that's almost scary. 

"Do you understand, Captain Chan?" Jongin questions, pulling Jisung out of his head. He sighs knowing he needs to stop losing himself in the depths of his brain when he's being briefed.

"I understand," Chan replies and Jongin nods. 

"Let's go to Chen then." 

Changbin shifts as a way calm his wolf down, blocking the conversation the two of have. Chan squeezes Jisung's fingers, and they're out of the small meeting room. 

He doesn't know how much time had passed as the light filtering in looks to be in the same spot. The light reminds him of Kisoo's words, but of the day everything changed. If he closes his eyes, he can see the bright clear sky of the day the six were taken. He can see the blood on the snow and hear the echoes of Minho's scream. He turns to Chan. 

“We’re going to find them,” he says, feeling tears well in his eyes. “We’re going to find them and bring them home. They’re going to be home.”

Chan looks at the desperate look of one of his youngest lovers and nods. He doesn't stop as he presses a gentle kiss against Jisung's head, the gesture filled with promises of coming home as nine. 

Jisung wants to jump around and be joyful that the others are going to be saved, but the worry of their conditions is greater. He rubs his forearm where his mate tattoo is and is filled with sadness. He can only hope that the warmth of his hand brings some warmth to everyone else. Changbin whines. 

Jongin leads them down white hallways with magical creatures walking up and down, some with their eyes following the four of them and others lowering their heads in mourning. Most of the agents believe their mates to be dead, but Jisung knows they're not. He can still feel their bonds tied to his and forearm. 

Glowing green eyes of a Were catch his before they look to the side and Jisung stands a little taller. Changbin snarls at the attention and Chan reaches forward and tugs at his fur, telling him to shush. Jongin throws a small smile over his shoulder. 

Chan makes a face and Jisung raises a brow. 

"Is everything alright?" he asks. 

"Our mate is disgusting," Chan says pulling Jisung away from Changbin. The wolf just snorts like he's laughing and continues to walk next to Jisung. They must be talking through their private link as they all do and it must be bad enough for Jisung not to want to know anymore. He can't, however, stop the laugh that spills from his lips at Chan's incredulous look. 

_ There's the laugh _ , Changbin says. 

"We haven't had much to laugh about," Jisung says quietly. "It's been stressful." 

_ I know, but we're going to bring them home. They're going to want to hear you laugh, Jiji.  _

"How can you be sure of that? They're probably going through hell. I can feel it, hyung. I hear them screaming in the back of my mind. I feel phantom beatings. And I. And I," Jisung's voice grows smaller as he stops walking. He feels the tears pricking at the back of his eyes, but he stops them as he doesn't want to cry. He doesn't want to show weakness right now. 

Chan pulls him into a hug and presses and soft kiss against his head. He's comforted at his mate's caring nature but pulls away with a small smile on his face. 

"We need to get to Chen," he says. 

Chan looks at Jisung, his gaze going up and down before he nods. Pulling Jisung along, they begin their trek to Chen. 

The Atrium is probably Jisung's favorite place all times, and when Jongin leads them to the elevators and travels downward, he sighs in contentment. 

The doors slide open, and the first thing he sees is too many people for his state of mind. They're scattered around the base of the atrium, mages and animals coming and going through different colored stalls. Those near the elevator doors openly stare at the four of them, Changbin growling low in his throat at the attention. They quickly look away. 

Over the noise of the crowd, there's a loud screech above causing Jisung to snap his head upwards. Sunlight filters through ceiling windows as bird shifters and familiars move from different length balconies. A couple of people yell before jumping down, robes of copper and gold flutter down. A loud rumbling echo through the room as the section of pure earth shoots up and meets one of the balconies before lowering itself at the same speed. 

The Atrium working as it should. 

Jisung knows he shouldn't get lost in his mind, thinking about the other, but he can't help it. He can't help but hear Hyunjin's loud laugh as he shifts running towards Park Bom's Trinkets or even sees Woojin rolling his eyes and following along. 

Chan squeezing his hand pulls him out of his head and Jongin looking back every few seconds ground him. He's going to do this. 

The chatter and the bright lights of the Atrium fade as they stay on the edge of the room and into a hallway. The hallway is just as bright as the Atrium with windows every few feet and soft glowing lights when there's nothing. 

Jongin doesn't say anything about their location, but Jisung sees the stairwell they usually take when coming to the Techie corner as Jeongin calls it. 

Doors to different rooms are either opened or closed, loud growls and hisses growing louder with people passing by. Jisung feels his heart beating in his chest as the sight begins to be a familiar one.

Ten and Johnny's room. 

Dongwoo's room. 

Kevin and Jacob's room. 

Minzy's room. 

Jongin stops. "You should get what you need from here," he says quietly and motions to the closed door the right. 

Jeongin and Seungmin's room. 

The door is the same standard metal door as everything else, but Chan had one day, decided it was too dull. Without permission from anyone, he engraved their team name into. Jisung reaches out and touches STRAY KIDS, his finger feeling the rough ridges of Chan's work. 

"I just need my staff," he says gently pushing the door open as he lets go of Chan's hand. 

The lights turn on the moment Jisung takes a step inside. Two long tables are pushed to the sides of the room where Woojin's war hammer and Seungmin's staff lay on the table. Papers of sketches and ramyeon cups are hazardously at the edge of the other table where dogs beds sit underneath (they had spent way too much time picking those stupid dog beds as Minho and Felix were insisting on getting cat ones). In one of the corners sits a computer with the organization's logo twirling around and even more papers. Jisung's staff stands next to it, the massive gold ring gleaming in the light. The blue topaz glitters at Jisung as he takes a step forward. Wrapping his hand around the neck of the staff, he sighs as he feels the energy flow through him. 

The first lesson he learned about a mage's staff was it knows. It knows when the user's emotions are high, and it knows when they're low. It recognizes the people the user usually is around, and it knows if something happened to them which means he's not surprised when the gem turns a dark red. 

"We're getting them back," he whispers to the staff, but the red still stays. His fingers find the spot above the middle of the staff where Seungmin had taught Hyunjin and Changbin how to crave protective runes into the wood. "I promise." 

His eyes catch one of the many pictures on his desk of all nine of them, smiling and goofing around. He takes in all the faces before turning around and walking out of the room. Jongin looks at him. 

"Sung, your eyes are red," Chan says, and Jisung looks at him. 

"I know." 

Changbin lets out a low howl feeling Jisung's quiet anger in their bond. 

"Are you ready?" Jongin asks and Jisung nods. 

"To Chen." 

Jongin continues to lead them down the Techie hallway until they reach a door Jisung knows they're not allowed behind, but with a swipe of a card and Jongin's palm against the wall, they're in. 

If the white and bare walls were any indication that they were still in the same building, then Jisung isn't sure they still are. The walls became a cream color to which Jongin lets out a quiet sigh as he mumbles under his breath. 

Before anyone could question him, a loud boom echoes through the hallway to which Jongin sighs again. 

"Again?" he says a little louder this time. "I knew giving him that reactor was a bad idea. Why doesn't anyone listen to me?" He glances. "Come and meet Chen. 

The room is twice the size of Seungmin and Jeongin's workspace. Long plastic tables are shoved against the walls with scraps of colored paper and various machine parts. Along the walls are tool mounts, some with tools but most without and in the center of the room sits a single silver couch. Jisung's gaze flicking to the far left corner where there seems to be a hallway hidden by the mess of one of the tables. 

A man shoots up from behind the couch and smiles hesitantly when he sees Jisung. There's soot on his face and pieces of wire stuck in his hair almost like he forgot he had a part of a machine in his hands. He opens his mouth to say something when he sees Jongin before letting out a yell that rivals Jeongin's. 

"Nini!" he shouts. "You're here!" 

"Hyung," Jongin whines. "What have I told you about calling me, Nini?" 

Chen rolls his eyes and keeps his smile on his face. "Not to but who cares." His dark eyes slide to Jisung. "And who might they be?" 

Chan clears his throat. "We're Stray Kids, sir." 

Chen raises a brow as realization floods his eyes. "Stray Kids? As in Kyun- Kisoo's Stray Kids?"  

Jongin rolls his eyes. "Yes. Director Kisoo ordered them to see you." 

There's a look in Chen's eyes that look almost sad, and it stays there when he looks at the others. He blinks a couple of times, and the emotion is gone, followed by the same kitten smile and bright eyes. 

“Hello boys!” he says. “And welcome to my home away from home. It’s beautiful isn’t? Minnie says I spend too much time here, though. But who else is supposed to create new technology for the older groups? It’s me! I’m the one, but that’s beside the point! Follow me.”

Chen turns around as he clicks his tongue and leads them deeper into the room while Jongin finds one of the many couches in the room and sits.  They're mindful of the different part on the floor when they make it to the hallway, the various pictures on the wall catching Jisung's gaze immediately. 

It's pictures of many legendary groups including Super Junior and TVXQ but what catches Jisung’s attention is the picture of twelve creatures scattered around. Those who aren’t shifted into animals look almost annoyed at what Jisung believes to be a loud screech coming from a phoenix, especially one with a kitten smile eerily similar to the man in front of him and another of the man who Kisoo had shifted into. He scans again and finds someone who looks oddly like Jongin and his lips pressed against the heart-shaped man's cheeks. He raises a brow and looks at the bottom of the frame.

EXO.

Jisung looks up to see Chen smiling brightly at him. “It’s a beautiful picture, yeah? It was simpler times,” he says glancing back at where Jongin is sitting before continuing on.

There's fur at his fingertips when they walk into the back room. Jisung finds himself running his fingers through Changbin's coat as he takes in this room.

A wooden table looks to be built against the back wall where a large piece of equipment is settled. Various tools surround the tools and a single stool fraying at the ends. 

Chen turns to face the three of them before walking towards another corner. 

"I know," he begins, "that all of you are mates and your links work?"

"Yes sir," Chan says. 

"Amazing. Mate links normally work well with a pair or a trio but a nonet? That's basically unheard of." He glances at Jisung before he begins to look for something. "And you have a mage in the mix?"

"Three," Jisung says, gripping Changbin's fur a little tighter. He doesn't know what to make of this man, but it's a bit uncomfortable for him. He's not used to people asking so many questions about their relationship, the nine of them not knowing why or how they are all mates. They've given up looking for answers and decided just to enjoy each other. 

Chen whirls around, his eyes wide. "There are three mages and six shifters?" he looks at his right forearm where Jisung's mate tattoo is before looking up. "Did the three of you design the tattoos to work the same as the links?" 

"Yes, sir but everyone's tattoo is different." 

"Wow. Okay so you won't be needing communicators, but I'm going to give you this." Chen holds up a thin earpiece. "Only one of you has to wear it, and it will be to hear us. We'll be listening in for any information these assholes have to offer. It's very unfortunate, but we don't have a layout of the place, that jerk Wang Eun hasn't given us one." 

Jisung raises a brow. 

"But that's beside the point. This communicator will be your ticket out of the building and the way to hack into the system. Who is the most tech savvy out of the three of you?" 

Jisung raises his hand. 

"Perfect! We don't have to worry about you shifting and losing the piece" Chen bounces in his step as he walks towards Jisung. He places the device in his hand, and yellow eyes bore into red ones. "You must listen to the instructions very carefully, Han Jisung. Find a computer or anything you can log in to and call my name once you're there. I will answer, and we'll take down the people who stole your mates, yeah?" 

Jisung nods, his eyes wide. Changbin steps in between the two of them, growling low in his throat as if the smiling man was threatening Jisung. 

_ Are you okay? _ Changbin asks. 

_ Yeah. You heard Chen _ . Jisung replies looking at the earpiece in his hands. It's grey and looks like one of those tiny Bluetooth headphone sets. He places it in his ear. 

"Now Jisung," Chen calls out. "Stand over there. I need to see if it works." 

Changbin growls but leads Jisung to the other side of the room where Chan smiles at the two of them. 

"Can you hear me?" Chen's voice says in his ears. 

"Yes, sir." 

Chen sighs. "Quit with the 'sir' business, please. I'm barely seven years older than you are. You're making me feel old." 

"Sorry?" Jisung questions. 

"Good now come back." 

_ There's so much noise coming from that _ , Changbin says.  _ I don't know how you're going to handle it.  _

_ He's not like us _ , Chan replies giving Changbin a look when they reach the side of the room where Chen is looking at the three of them.  _ He's not sensitive to sounds like we are. _

_ Hello?  _ Jisung questions. _ I am right here? _

Changbin snorts. _ I'm aware.  _

_ Sure.  _ Jisung says. _ Sure. _

"Are there any questions?" Chen asks with a loud laugh. Chan raises his hand. 

"How are we getting there?" 

Chen raises a brow. "You mean, he hasn't told you yet?"

"Who?" 

"Jongin. Jongin is going to be taking you." Chen pauses. "Jongin!" he shouts, his voice reverberating against the walls. "Get over here and tell these children how you're taking them!" 

There's a loud crash coming from the front room, and the bright man's face suddenly looks a bit annoyed. A loud curse comes from Jongin's deep timbre.

"Please stop having things everywhere, hyung!" Jongin shouts. "Someone is going to get hurt." 

Jongin comes down the hallway and glares at Chen. His lips are placed into a full pout and his eyes sleepy as if he was taking a nap on the mess riddled couch.  "Please." 

_ You know,  _ Chan begins with a sigh. _ If Woojin or Felix where here and Jongin walked in like he just did, what do you think they would say? _

Jisung blinks and Changbin laughs.  _ They both would think he's hot, he says. But hey, I'm hotter, don't you think? _

And with the audacity of seven-year-old, wolf Changbin tries to pose. Jisung rolls his eyes. 

_ Can the two of your focus? _ He scolds. 

_ Yes but Sung, he's a bit hot, _ Changbin says. 

Jisung sighs knowing he's going to be teased for his next words.  _ But you're hotter Seo Changbin now shut up. _

He wastes no time and mentally shuts off his link and smiles to Chen and Jongin who look amused. Chan laughs, and Changbin sends him the brightest puppy dog look he can muster. Jisung feels his ears turn red. 

"Having fun?" Chen asks with a wicked gleam in his eyes. 

"No. They're distracting." He takes a deep breath. 

The smile on Chen's face grows into a sad one as if he recalls a woeful memory. Jongin clears his throat. 

"I will be taking the three of you," he says, "to the building where you will be entering from the roof." 

"How?" Chan questions and Jongin snaps his fingers. 

The man disappears and reappears at the other end of the room. "I am a space mage that specializes in dimensional travel. I hope you’re not too queasy when it comes to traveling the different dimensions because it's your ticket in and your ticket out.”

Jisung knew he was fucked when Jongin disappeared and reappeared at the other side of the room. While he's never dimension traveled before, he's heard the horror stories that come with it. 

There must have been fear on his face because Chen giggles. 

"You'll be fine. It doesn't hurt." 

Jisung wants to believe him. 

Jongin shares a soft smile. “Whenever you’re ready,” he says.

“Good luck boys!” Chen says waving his hands in the air. “May you do Kyu-, I mean Kisoo proud!”

The mage looks at the Techie noting the second mistake of Kisoo's name. He thinks back to the picture in the hallway and wonders if Head Kisoo has another to do with the group EXO.

Chan offers his hand to which Jisung gratefully takes and keeps his fingers into Changbin's fur. Jongin places a heavy hand on Jisung's shoulder.

Chen waves his hands. “Now off you go. You don’t have very long!”

Within seconds of Chen’s final goodbye, the cream of his room turns into the black before a bright blue.

Jisung feels his legs collapse under him while someone sighs.

“There’s always one,” Jongin huffs. “Always one. Anyways, good luck. Call me when you’re done. Use the earpiece.”

A faint pop is heard just as the rushing of the city hits Jisung’s ears. His eyes take a few seconds to gather their surroundings. He feels like he's laying down to discover that yes, he’s laying down and Changbin's blue eyes are following him.

_ Are you alright? _ Changbin asks.  _ It seems like you fell pretty hard. _

Jisung blinks a couple of times before nodding, his vision returning to normal. 

He sees they're on top of the building like promised. With clear sunny skies, he sees the building's turbines, an air conditioning unit in the corner and a single door leading into the building. 

Before anyone can take a step, there’s a strong wave of pain coming from Jisung’s mate marks followed by a scream loud enough to be heard outside. They stop breathing for a second.

The scream stops, and the pain subsides to a dull one. Jisung's body feels like he's lost control of powers, fire attacking the corner of his body he didn't know he had.  

"Jeongin," Chan whispers. 

_ Jeongin, _ Changbin thinks.  _ Jeongin!  _

Jeongin's voice doesn't come. 

_ Jeongin! _ Changbin screams.  _ Jeongin! Felix! Woojin hyung! _

Nothing. Changbin whimpers. 

Panic and fear take over before they turn into anger. His fingers begin to spark again, and he begins to march, but Chan holds him back. Jisung keeps his eyes on the door. 

"Be patient Jisung," he says.

"Hyung." 

"We don't know what we're getting into." 

"And we won't. We need to get in," Jisung whirls around. "Channie hyung we can't wait." 

Another wave of pain courses through Jisung's body followed by a scream. He closes his eyes. 

_ Chan hyung, _ Changbin says, and Jisung opens his eyes, gripping his staff harder. 

Chan takes a deep breath and doesn't say anything until Jeongin's screams stop. He looks and Jisung and nods. 

"Now we go." 

Without another word, Jisung turns on his heel, and storms to the door. He takes a deep breath before yanking the door open. 

_ We're coming _ , he says into the mate link. Chan and Changbin grunt behind him. 

Their mission begins. 


	2. the hairs on your arm will stand up, at the terror in each sip and in each sup, will you partake of that last offered cup or disappear into the potter's ground, when they come around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: blood, like a lot of it. remember that this fic will have lots and lots of blood. oh and minor character death. like very minor.

Chan is grateful no one was behind the door when Jisung opened it as he throws a glare at the younger male. Jisung smiles sheepishly and peers inside.

"There's no one," he says. "It's just an empty hallway all the way around."

Chan sniffs the air and sees Jisung is right. He takes a step forward, gently leading his mate to side. He closes his eyes when he walks into the hallway, waiting for alarms to blare or for something to happen but nothing does. He sighs in relief.

"Let's get going then," He says.

The door behind them clicks with a muted sound. Chan takes in his surroundings, stereotypical white walls of a lab with very little paintings on them. The hallway they stand in isn't very long with a set of stairs leading to one of the lower floors.

 _There_ , he says in the mate link. Jisung, _can you make our steps silent?_

Chan counts to five before there's a soft sigh in his head. _Done._

Changbin moves down the stairs, not waiting for either Chan or Jisung. Chan doesn't have the heart to tell his mate to wait. If he allowed his wolf to take over, he too would be in a rush to walk down those stairs.

The smell of a hospital passes through his nose strong enough for him to let out a low growl to which Changbin follows with his own. It reminds him of a couple years ago when they had a mission of retrieving a group of missing scientists, only to find their corpses.

He tries not to take in a deep breath but finds himself doing so when they reach the bottom of the stairs. There he sees three different hallways leading to different parts of the building, breaking his mental plan of sticking together. With a deep sigh, he thinks maybe it's best if they split up. Them being together with the same amount of anger is a bit devastating.

"I’m going to go left Channie hyung", Jisung says quietly, his red eyes flicking towards his proposed hallway." Changbinnie hyung should go the opposite way and you’ll go straight?"

Chan nods and looks straight, seeing nothing but a long white hallway. His nose, though, is a different story. He smells humans from all over, their scents masking the smell of iron and the different smells from their mates. His wolf begins to pace at the smell of his mates nearby, keening and growling at Chan to let him out.

He looks to Jisung, his eyes narrowing on the earpiece Chen had given him.

"You know what to do," he says shutting his eyes when his wolf's presence begins to get too much.

The animal is pacing in his mind before pacing and demanding things Chan can't give him. He's angry and growls at Chan before it snaps its teeth at him.

"We get all of them," he growls and finally quelling his wolf, "and we leave here nine or none."

Changbin snorts. _As if we'll forget that, hyung_ . He presses his nose into Chan's hand, softly licking the flesh before doing the same to Jisung. _Be careful_. He says before he bolts down the hall to the right.

Jisung's red eyes shine brightly as he grips his staff tightly in his hands and his eyes narrowed into slits. His face softens as he takes a quiet step towards Chan, pressing a gentle kiss to lips.

"Be careful, Channie hyung," Jisung says as he turns around and faces his hallway.

Chan doesn't move from his spot for a few moments, listening to the sounds of the Changbin's and Jisung's fading steps. Once he's sure they're gone, he faces his hallway and takes a deep breath.

His wolf beings to paw again when the scent of coffee and blueberries pass him. He feels fur beginning to sprout from his hand to which he snaps at his wolf.

Blueberries.

Jeongin.

 _I have Jeongin,_ he growls through the link before shutting it off and focusing on his wolf.

"Not now," he mumbles. "Find them first."

He pushes the scent of blueberries away for just a moment to see who are down the other halls. His wolf won't stop pacing unless he does so. He knows his wolf very well.

Tilting his head to the left, he smells apples and lemongrass, two scents he would have never placed together but they somehow work, just like their personalities. A small smile reaches his face when he thinks of Jisung finding Hyunjin and how loud that reunion will be.

He moves to the right and smells chocolate and cherries causing Chan to wince a bit. Felix is down the hall where Changbin just left and while the younger wolf protects all of his mates with fierce teeth, he protects Felix a little more as he was considered to be the runt of his old pack.

He turns his attention back onto the hallway in front of him and takes a step and before he knows it, he's bolting down the hall, not paying attention if there is anyone around him. The faster he gets, the more his wolf begins to push and with the faint scent of blueberries in the air, he finally lets himself go.

His mind empties as he feels fur sprout from his skin. His senses are sharper, more attuned to his surroundings. The faint scent of blueberries and coffee become more intense as he tries not to let out a loud sound of pain. He closes is his eyes just for a moment before he opens them again. The tile floor is cool against his paws and a passing thought of how Woojin wouldn't like claw marks on the floor comes and goes as fast as it comes.

His wolf is happy to be let out but the animal smacks it lips and curls its mouth. The wolf wants blood.

Taking a step, he suddenly feels a rush of power flowing through his veins before a step becomes more than a step and into a run. With each breath he takes, a soft growl emits from his throat but nothing more. The white walls pass around him, the same blur of color coming and going.

He doesn't stop running, not even when a sharp pain shoots down in his legs followed by a loud scream coming from in front of him. It only causes him to pump his legs faster.

He needs to reach his mates and there are too many people in his way. He bares his teeth

The first group of people Chan meets, he tears through them like butter. Screams and sounds of ripping flesh fill the hallway, the once pristine white walls turning a bright red.

He leaves when no one else is breathing. With each step he takes, he pays no mind to the lifeless eyes and mouths open in horror. He continues on.

The next two run-ins are the same. Red and white.

The way he sees each kill is these people are the reason for his mates' screams, for his mates' tears, and he swore an oath when he bound himself to them, he swore he would protect them from harm.

But if that's what he sees these people as, why is this woman staring him down with wide terrified eyes? What about this dark-haired woman in front of him that has him pausing in his movements?

She takes a deep breath and closes her dark eyes as if she waits for her death, the smell of flowers overbearing. Chan takes a step back and growls low in his throat.

A few seconds pass between the two of them, the only sound being made is her heavy breath and the sound of muffled gurgling that stops a few moments later. She opens her eyes and stares at Chan, raising a brow.

"Are you not going to kill me?" she asks, her voice sounding like bells and reminding Chan of his sister. He snaps his jaws at her. "I would much rather you kill me, you know," she continues on. "Lords know if they find out what I'm about to do, it will result in my death."

Chan looks at the woman again, noting her blood stained white coat with a floral pattern sticking out at the end of the jacket. Her hands are shaking as fear and pain fill her eyes. She sits on the ground, her legs tucked under her body and her throat is bared like she's giving Chan permission to rip her throat out, huffing when he doesn't do anything.

She stands on wobbly legs and looks at the carnage around her before taking a breath and turning her gaze back to Chan.

"I know why you're here," she says, wrapping her arms around herself. "And I want to help."

Chan growls, distrust filling every fiber of himself. There's no way someone who actually works in a place like this would want to help him get his mates back but he knows that people can be surprising.

He circles her to which she stands straight and lets her eyes follow his every move.

As he doesn't know anything about the building, it would be beneficial to have someone who would be able to push him in the right direction and someone who could watch out for him when he needed it but this is a woman who might have had a chance to harm his mates and might harm him. He doesn't need that.

He fights with himself, trying to figure out the best course of action when the sound of hurried footsteps comes from down the hall. The woman and panics as she looks at Chan before looking at the damage he's done.  

Chan is ready to pounce but the lady isn't having any of that. She reaches him, ignoring the loud growling Chan emits, and yanks on his coat.

"Follow me," she hisses as she pulls him further down the hallway. He doesn't attack her like he thinks he's going to. Instead, he follows her into the down the hallway and into a room. She pushes him inside with a tight-lipped smile.

"Stay in here," she says before she closes the door.

If she betrays him, he can always rip out her throat.

It's dark in the room she's left him in but the smell of chemicals and other disinfectants what tells Chan that he's in a supply closet. But if he can't see then he might as well listen.

Very faintly, he hears low growls and stifled screaming, almost like someone was trying to quiet their screams. The growling is familiar to Chan, sounding like the same growl Woojin uses when he wants someone to actually follow what he's saying. Chan's heart rate picks up at the thought of Woojin being closer than he originally thought but as much he wants to break down the door hiding him in the supply closet, he can't.

He turns his attention to the sound of voices and muffled gasps.

"-cha? Aecha?" a woman's voice whispers, almost as if she's afraid to find the said woman dead. A soft grunt and a painfilled whine pass through someone's lips and Chan is quick to recognize the voice of the woman helping him.

"Miyoung unnie?" Aecha says softly. "What happened?"

Chan sits, realizing he's going to be in the same room for a little while. He's surprised his wolf hasn't deemed the woman someone to attack. He's also surprised at the lack of attack coming from his wolf but maybe the animal understands their situation fully. If Chan was going to burst out of the room and kill those people outside of the room, then he won't have the help he needs. His wolf growls in agreement and waits.

The entire situation has Chan not believing a word the woman, Aecha, tells him. It's almost too coincidental.

"We're under attack," someone else says. "And we don't know who. Did you see anything? Did you see who attacked you?"

A low whine. "White," Aecha says. "I saw something white attack. I tried to shield myself but it came out of nowhere. It knocked me down and I pretended to be dead and it left back the way it came." She sounds scared out of her mind but Chan supposes she doesn't have to fake the tone of her voice.

"Nothing else?"

"No. What do you think it is?"

Someone clicks their tongue. "One of the mates of the creatures we took a couple of weeks ago."

Aecha sucks in a breath. "What? I thought we hid well enough for them not to find us?"

"We must have been leaked," the woman, Miyoung (?) says. "There's no other way."

"That's horrible," Aecha speaks in a way Chan knows she's lying. He can hear her heart pounding at the lie. "Shall we rise the alarms?"

"The alarms have already been off. The rooms with their mates are guarded even more now. There's no way they're getting through."

Chan's growl is low enough for no one to hear. Their mission just got ten times harder than it was supposed to but maybe killing without thinking of the consequences wasn't the best thing.

 _We've been found out,_ he says once he opens his mate link. _Be careful._

Jisung doesn't say anything while Changbin gives a tiny grunt of confirmation.

He wants to ask if they've found anything but keeps his questions to himself and shuts off the link once more, focusing on the conversation not a few feet from him.

He finds that he's missed most of the conversation with the fading voices but he catches Aecha's fading words.

"Be careful and hurry. Jeonginnie is in danger."

_Jeonginnie?_

His wolf snaps his teeth at the nickname the woman gave Jeongin. Only they're allowed to call him that. Why is she saying it?

Chan is forced to shift in order to get out of the supply closet, something he waits to do. He listens to the area around him, listening to nothing but silence when he opens the door and walks out.

It's a little harder to sneak around the hallways in this form, his human body very naked to walk around unnoticed. His skin is the same milky white was the hallway walls but with his gold eyes, it's harder to hide them.

The hall he's in divides sections itself into three different directions causing him to let out a low curse as he wants to stay in his human form for a little while longer since it's easier to slink around.

He shifts and shakes out his coat as he sniffs the air. The scent of coffee comes heavily from one of the pathways while another is laced with blueberries. His decision is fast when he takes the path towards the coffee fragrance, his paws pounding on the ground. He sends a quiet prayer to whatever god is listening to keep Jeongin safe for a little while longer.  

He turns a corner with his nose in the air,  his wolf jumping around at the scent of coffee getting closer. He freezes, however, when a sudden whiff of iron and blood grows stronger. He tries not to panic but he can't help himself when his legs pump faster towards an open door. He passes through the doorway with his teeth bared, ready to pounce and freezes.

Chan already knows that the members of his pack are able to take care of themselves. He knows if they didn't feel like they were all safe, then they would be the ones fighting this battle and not them. So when, he pounces in the room, his teeth ready to tear into the flesh of anyone who dared to lay a hand on Woojin, he shouldn't have been surprised to see his older lover standing in the middle of a pile of bodies, half shifted.

Woojin whirls around, seemingly to ready to pounce on his incoming attacker, he stops when he sees Chan standing there. "Chan?"

Without thinking, Chan shifts back and jumps over the bodies, his bare feet slipping a little on the blood coating the floor. He feels his lungs seize up and his heart pound against his chest before the scent of coffee is potent in his nose. He wraps his arms around Woojin's shoulders, the feel of fur transitioning into skin again his skin. His face is planted into the other's neck and breathes in the scent of Woojin.

He feels Woojin stepping back from the force of Chan's body colliding with his, but he too doesn't take very long before wrapping his arms around Chan's waist.

"You're okay," Chan breathes, his voice near tears. "You're really okay."

And maybe listening to Chan's voice filled with nothing but relief and hope is what causes Woojin to sag in his arms and to break down in his arms. Chan holds both of them up as best as he can, his entire body continually screaming Woojin, Woojin, _Woojin_.

He doesn't know how long they stand in the middle of the room, the two of them wrapped together with dead bodies ripped to shreds and blood caked around Woojin's frame. The silence between the two of them is comfortable and filled with nothing but the existence of each other. Chan doesn't want to break their soft stillness, but he can't help the next questions out of his mouth.  

"What did they do to you, my love?"

Woojin sniffles. "They told me, you wouldn't come." For the first time since Chan has met Woojin, he hears panic and fear in the elder's voice, two emotions he thought he would never hear coming out of Woojin's mouth.

"I would never leave you, Woojinnie. I would never."

Those words seem to have a significant effect on Woojin, and his body suddenly has all the strength inside of him back. He pulls away from Chan's embrace and smiles widely, pressing his lips to the other's.

"I know," he says pressing repeated kisses to Chan's lips. "I know."

The look of pure joy fills Woojin's features the more he smiles, it's unfiltered and raw, everything that Chan has missed in these past few weeks but it's still too early to celebrate. Their mates were still missing and injured.  He hates being the one to take away what's probably Woojin's first smile in a while.

"We need to leave here. I still have to find Innie," Chan says slowly, gauging Woojin's reaction and watching as the bear's face pales considerably and the beautiful smile slips off his face. Chan makes a mental vow to bring back Woojin's smile.  

Woojin looks like he wants to tell Chan what he's been hearing, but he stops himself as he looks down. He takes in a breath of air before glancing at Chan.

"Chan, Jeonginnie he..." Woojin bites his bottom lip as if he's scared to tell Chan what they were doing to their youngest lover, but it's the hesitation that has Chan growling low in his throat.

Once again, he feels his wolf clawing to get out, but he holds him down enough to press a soft kiss to Woojin's cheek. He closes his eyes and tries not let the images of Jeongin being cut open, of Jeongin being beaten until he's black and purple all over.

He smells the blueberries before he can hear the scream. It sounds a lot closer than before, the sound vibrating in Chan's soul. This time he can feel the harshness of something cutting through his skin, he begins to feel his head splitting apart, and his heart thudding against his chest. His knees slammed against the ground. Jeongin's pain spikes through Chan's body so much that he forgets Woojin is next to him, a silent scream passing through his lips.

But just as fast as Jeongin's pain comes, it's gone in the blink of an eye.

Chan sees darkening blood around his knees as he breathes through his mouth. He looks up to see a flash of pain on Woojin's features before that scared look he had, leaves with nothing but anger. Chan watches as Woojin begins to fight for control over his body, his brown eyes start flickering to the same bright gold ones he saw when he came in.

Woojin takes a deep breath.

"How close?" Chan asks, and Woojin shakes his head.

"I don't know. I could always smell him nearby, but I could never get an exact location. I was always stuck in this room," Woojin says, motioning to the room.

Chan finally takes a look at Woojin's prison. It looked like the inside of an industrial room with metal walls and thick bolts into the sides. Its ceilings were high enough to have two large metal poles hanging a few feet off the ground, a single dangling chain on each pole. Three yellow brackets held the poles in a single spot as if not to move them. Wires circled around the poles giving Chan enough visual to see Woojin being dangled in the middle with electricity flowing through his body.

Before Chan can say anything else, the sound of footsteps and guns being cocked begin to sound. They're close, too close for Chan's liking. He wants to push Woojin aside, but when he glances at his only elder lover, he sees a fight in Woojin's eyes. A fight to want to give the people who harmed him a piece of his mind.

"Woojin," Chan calls out, "are you sure you want to fight?"

Woojin snarls, his eyes finally settling on a bright gold, his body growing larger as a small piece of metal falls to the ground with a loud clang. The moment Chan looks up into gold eyes is the moment that he finally feels Woojin in his mind. He feels the regret, the pain, and the sadness but most of all, he feels the red hot anger seeping into his bones because how dare they.

Chan lets out a sigh of relief when Woojin entirely shifts into a massive reddish-brown bear the size of a full sized work truck. His paws are three times larger than Chan's shifted ones, and his mouth drips silva the more it curls, showing off large incisors. He snaps his teeth.

The moment the first soldier enters the Woojin's room, the bear releases a loud roar startling the man and causing the ones behind him to freeze in their steps.

Chan chuckles before setting his eyes in front of him, letting his own fur sprout from his skin. If the Red Eagle didn't know Woojin was free a couple of moments ago, now they do. He shakes out his fur, standing proudly next to his mate. He bares his teeth to the soldiers and counts down in Woojin's open mate link.  

_Three._

One of the men blinks out of his stupor and aims his gun. Chan takes a step back and snarls.

_Two._

Another man blinks a couple of times before reaching to side to grab a thin looking spear. He clicks something causing Chan's nose to smell the electricity in the air.

_One._

Another man, another spear.

_Go._

With another mighty roar, Woojin barrels forward before taking off in a sprint, his fur shaking with every step. Chan follows suit and tries not to peer over his shoulder to see how his mate is doing. One wrong move and it could be the death of both of them.

Leaping over the first pile of bodies, Chan pounces on a man with a scar on his face. The man smiles at him, his teeth a horrible shade of yellow as he pushes Chan off his body.

Chan's first fight begins.

Chan charges forward, snapping his teeth at the man's hand that was holding the spear. He dodges the jabbing the man does, ignoring the way it skims across his skin. He begins to attack the man when another comes, bullets firing from his gun. Chan is quick, however, expertly dodging the bullets and deeming the shooter more dangerous than the man with the lightning spear.

He turns his body around and slams into him, the gun flying across the room, and his teeth sinking into the soft flesh of the man's neck. Under him, the man cries out, reaching towards his fallen gun. But Chan is having none of it. He grips tighter around the neck and shakes his head. A sickening snap echo in the room but no one stills, the sound is familiar to all of them.

The man with the electric spear charges again, and Chan is ready for him. Chan lets his body fly through the air his jaws aiming for the man's neck. He misses but a quiet whimper passes through his lips when he feels the tip of the spear dig into his side, the man chuckling when it goes off. A loud yelp rips through his throat as he feels his body being torn apart. His blood feels like it's boiling as he tries to pull himself away from the weapon, but the man continues to push it through his body.

He fights through the shocks as the training from the Organization begins to kick through his body. He takes a couple of deep breaths before pushing himself off the ground. His body is strong enough to send the spear's owner a couple of steps back, his eyes blinking in mild shock.

The electricity stops.

Chan snarls at the man before pouncing. This time, his teeth don't miss the man's neck as he rips this throat out, blood pooling into his mouth. He stands there for a before few seconds before watching the life draining from the man's eyes. He feels nothing as he turns around and attacks someone else, each kill growing more bloody than the last.

There's blood dripping from his coat, the spear falling out of his side somewhere along the way when he sinks his teeth into the last man he can smell. The man screams for a few seconds before shutting his mouth and closing his eyes like he was resigned to his fate. Chan shakes his head and the man's neck snaps. He drops the body to the ground and turns to look for Woojin whose claws are a deep red and almost look black against his dark fur.

Dark eyes meet golden ones as Woojin roars and shake his pelt.

 _Chan_ , he says. _You're bleeding._

 _I know_ , Chan replies _. As are you._

Chan looks around the room, the pile of bodies more extensive than it was before. The scent of coffee is nothing more than a memory with how strong the iron smell is. Red is splayed on the walls like paint splatters, the thick substance dripping onto the ground in soft clicks.

Woojin shifts back into a human and stands in the middle of the room, his body as bare as it can be. Faint red streaks fall down his body as he takes a step closer to where Chan stands on the other side of the room, hiding away from the door. He holds his side and smiles up and Chan, wrapping his arms around his mate's massive neck.

"But now we're fine."

_For now._

"For now," Woojin repeats.

Chan lets his body sag to the floor, wincing at the burning pain in his side. He flinches when Woojin pokes his fingers.

"You have to get that checked," Woojin says.

_We don't have time to get it fully checked._

"I know, but you need to cover the wound and stop the bleeding."

Chan grunts and snaps his head to the door just as Woojin does the same. There's a faint clicking of heels coming their way causing the two of them to freeze. Woojin stands in front of Chan ready to attack.

It takes a moment, but Chan recognizes the faint flowery smell. Aecha.

 _Woojin, wait_ , he calls out. _It might be a friend._

Woojin's hands turn into fists, but he doesn't move.

The first thing Chan sees is the same long brown ponytail high upon her head. Her eyes sweep across the room, her mouth twitching at bodies slewed around the room. Her nose crinkles in disgust before she finally looks to where Woojin stands over Chan.

Aecha stuffs her hands into her pockets and bares her neck the same way she had done earlier. Woojin jolts.

"You found him,” she mumbles under her breath but keeps her neck bared as if she's waiting for an attack and Woojin growls.

"Enough," he says. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Aecha," she says simply. "I told Chan where to find you, not that he needed it. He was already on the warpath."

"I don't blame him."

"I don't either."

Chan whines when a particularly sharp pain flashes through his body. _Can you two stop?_ He breathes out. _Ask her why she's here._

Woojin relays the question.

Aecha fixes a long stare at Chan before clearing her throat. "Jeongin," she says. "He's in a locked room where they're performing experiments on him. You need a keycard to get into the room if not then they'll kill him on the spot."  

She lowers her eyes, and suddenly Chan understands Woojin's jolt. The woman in front of them is showing that she means no harm to them. Her lowered eyes and bared neck are all signs of the lesser dominant shifters and the fact that she knows this behavior startles Chan a little bit.

"Why?" Woojin asks. "Why are you helping us?"

Aecha's shoulders slumps. "Because I want to help. I've always wanted to help."

Woojin growls. "Liar."

"I'm not lying." She points to the other side of the room. "There's a medical kit over there and inside are tools you need to piece together Chan's wound. I know you don't have time, but I promise I'm trying to help, Woojin."

Chan sees the moment Woojin hesitates, and that's he needs to know that everything is going to be okay. He shifts back, a loud groan passing through his lips.

"Get the kit, Woojinnie."

Woojin sighs and rushes over to the side of the room looking for the kit. Chan looks at Aecha who has a soft smile on her face. She doesn't seem to notice Chan watching as she looks around the room, her eyes impressed as she takes everything in.

"He chose well," he hears her whisper before the fond look in her eyes is gone and replaced by the mock fear she had been carrying.

She straightens out her shoulders and looks back at Chan.

 _Who chose well?_ Woojin asks.

 _I don't know_. Chan replies.

Something clicks in the back of Chan's mind.

_Talk to Changbin and Jisung. They were worried._

Chan feels Woojin's smile and opens the link between the four of them.

 _Hello_ , Woojin says, and Chan feels the relief flooding through the link. He blinks a couple of times at the sheer loudness Jisung yells at him.

 _Hyung!_ He shouts coherently, _you're okay._

_I am._

_Fuck,_ Changbin sounds like he's about to cry and Chan can't blame him. _Fuck hyung._

Woojin laughs. _Language Binnie._

 _I know but hyun-_ , Changbin cuts off. _Felix._

Changbin says nothing else and cuts off his link startling the three. Woojin and Chan look at each worriedly but neither try to make contact. If Changbin has found Felix and it was enough to cut the link, then they didn't want to think about what their lover looks like.

Jisung doesn't say anything for a few moments before whispering a soft 'I love you' to both of them and cutting off his link.

Woojin places the first aid kit next to Chan with his lips pursed. Aecha stands a few feet away, hovering and watching them. She doesn't dare to step closer in fear of Woojin snapping his teeth at her. He doesn't even acknowledge her existence, Chan notes.

"Do you have a keycard?" Chan asks after a few moments of silence. He hisses when Woojin presses a little too hard against his side.

"No. I can get one, though," Aecha says.

"I don't trust you," Woojin says before Chan can say anything. "You work here, and you've been experimenting on Jeongin. Therefore I don't trust you."

"I know," Aecha whispers. "But I really want to help. I didn't want these experiments in the first place. I had no idea what they were going to be doing."

 _Something doesn't sit right_ , Woojin tells Chan.

"How come you didn't know?" Chan asks Aecha, giving Woojin a look.

"I'm too much of a lower level scientist. They only told me about a dark source they had found, and they were testing the limits of the said dark source. I didn't even know it was a person until a couple of days ago when they assigned me to runs tests on Woojin and catalog his pain levels."

Woojin looks thoughtful. "The tests were a lot softer these couple of days."

"I didn't want to hurt you," Aecha nods.

"Why?"

Aecha looks away. "Why experiment on an unwilling participant? It gets you nowhere."

Woojin patted Chan's wound a couple of minutes later before pressing a gentle kiss. He smiles up at Chan, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Raising a hand to Chan's face, he presses his fingers against Chan's cheek. Chan melted at the touch, suddenly his mission faded from his mind, his only focus on Woojin's fingers against his face.

"I thought something else had happened," Woojin whispers. "My head was telling me that I was going to lose you. I can't lose you. Not like this."

Chan closes his eyes and just _feels_ Woojin in front of him. "I wouldn't leave you like this. I was shocked," Chan laughs at his pun, "but it honestly wasn't that strong. Bambam's lightning is stronger.  

Woojin laughs and nuzzles his face into Chan's neck, by lifting his face when he's satisfied with how he smells. Chan opens his eyes.

It's only when there's a quiet sigh that causes Chan and Woojin both remember that they're not alone in the room, both of their eyes traveling to where Aecha stands, her eyes looking above their heads but her gaze somewhere even further. She has a tight-lipped smile on her face as he drags her dark gaze towards the two.

"We don't have much time," she says, fiddling with her sleeve. "I heard somewhere that they're going to be testing how much pain Jeongin can take. They might kill him in the process."

Woojin bares his teeth at Aecha again when she talks. He curls his hands into fists and raises them like he's about to attack the poor woman. Chan reaches for his hands and pulls them down.

"Woojin," he says as Aecha bares her neck again, her eyes shutting. "We need to let her talk."

"She's going to spit lies at us, telling us things we think we need to hear. Then she's going to put us in a trap and kill us all. Chan, we can't trust her. We can't trust-" Woojin trails off for a second as he stares down Aecha.

She shifts on her feet uncomfortably as she keeps her neck bared.

"Not many people know to do what you keep doing," Woojin says, his voice low. "We keep things like these pretty hidden because we don't want people to use our mannerisms to attack us."

Aecha stiffens at Woojin's words.

"These movements can be taught, but it's instinctual for us shifters to do them."

Something clicks in the back of Chan's mind. He stares at Aecha, his eyes widening when he sees her eyes shift from her dark brown to a bright blue. She closes her eyes.

"You're a shifter," Chan says.

For a second, it looks like she's going to deny his words but instead, she opens her eyes nods. "No one here knows," she says. "If they did, I would be six feet under by now."

Chan has to do a double take at the information. It doesn't sit right nor does it make sense to him. Why would someone make an experiment on their own kind? The thought sickens him. He covers his mouth.

"You're testing on subjects, and you're a shifter?" Woojin shouts, taking Chan's words out of his mouth.

Aecha gives the deadliest glare she can manage in her situation. Gone is the timid human woman, Chan thought he kind of knew and in front of him stands an angry female shifter, her eyes flickering between brown and blue.

"Do you think I like testing on my own kind?" she hisses. "It feels like my soul is being ripped out they kill the shifters. If I'm assigned to them, I try to make their pain less painful because I can't imagine what it feels like to be them."

"You try to sympathize with your subjects? Are you out of your damn mind?" Woojin hisses back. "I can't picture the faces of the shifters you've killed because of your experiments. I bet they were all betrayed because someone of their kind killed them in a way they would have never thought."

Something akin to red hot anger flashes in Aecha's eyes, but she holds it down and swallows her breath. "You know nothing," she spats bitterly. "You don't know my story enough to judge me for the choices I have to make."

Her tone of voice causes Chan to flinch. He hears the pain, so much pain in her words as she stares down Woojin.

"Enough you two," he says, and Aecha backs down, her hands curling into fists as she looks away. She takes a couple of steps back.

Woojin, on the other hand, looks red in the face. His eyes are gold, showing his anger towards the woman in front of him and Chan understands. He understands Woojin’s emotions as they're the same ones Chan is going through. He can't imagine what it would be like to be a scientist and to experiment on his own kind like this. It's painful enough saving the people he can but to be the one giving the pain? He couldn't do anything like that.

As much as he wants to leave Aecha behind and continue on with his mission, something tells him that he needs the woman to get into Jeongin's room. He doesn't like it, but it's going to be her.  

"What else do you know about the director's plans?' Chan asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Woojin whips his head to his mate.

"Chan!" Woojin calls out.  

Aecha shakes her head and glances at him. "I watched over Woojin, but that's it."

Woojin groans, his body sinking the ground both in exhaustion and in despair. Chan casts a worried glance towards the older before setting his eyes back on Aecha.

"The room Jeongin is in, what do we need to know?"

Aecha lets her gaze fall away from Chan and walks over to the middle of the room where Chan suspects Woojin to have been hanging. She looks at the poles and the ceiling pointing upwards. "These poles aren't there. From the rumors I've heard, they really want to bring out the dark power from Jeongin. They poked and prodded at him, but that's all I know.

"The room Jeongin is in his extremely difficult to get into. The security is high since it's Jeongin as their main test subject. The single time they let me in the room, the guard swiped a keycard and used an eye scanner. He had to pause a few moments before going in. Something about waiting for all the weapons around Jeongin to shut off."

Chan growls. "What do they want from him?"

"His power. Jeongin is a dark mage, and there are theories out there about how it works, but no one is sure. Now they have a dark mage in their hands, the Red Eagle is going to stop at nothing to make sure they test it correctly." She takes a deep breath. "I wish I had more for you, but that's all I seem to have. We need a keycard and someone conscious enough to let us use their eye."

Chan nods at the information and looks to Woojin who has an odd glint in his eyes. He turns to Chan and smiles.

 _Whatever it takes, we need to get into that room,_ Woojin says, and Chan can't agree more.

But again, something doesn't sit right with Chan. If all they needed was Jeongin why did they take the rest of the members? They would have no use for them other than to kill them off slowly or even... oh.

"They're using the others, aren't they?"

Aecha shrugs. "They have to be. What more incentive to use your powers to protect the ones you love?"

"There isn't any," Woojin breathes through his mouth. "We fight to protect our loved ones, and that's all there is to it."

Chan raises his hand to Woojin's side, noticing the red coating his fingers. The older was still hurt and it getting into the room with Jeongin was going to prove to be such a feat, then they were going to need to patch up and have a plan.

"Is there another medical kit in this room?"

Aecha shakes her head. "The nearest one is the desk that we met at. It'll have one behind the counter." She glances at Woojin before looking to Chan. "I suggest we get going to it then. We don't have time to just dilly dally here. I need to patch Woojin and then we need a plan of getting into Jeongin's room."

"Chan," Woojin says. "I'm fine."

"I know, but if anything Aecha is saying is correct, then this is a fight that we don't want to be bleeding out already."

"Chan I-"

"Woojin, please," Chan pleads. "Let me patch you up before we do anything."

Chan's wolf whines loudly in his head making him wince just a little bit. If Chan hates seeing his mates hurt in any form, Chan's wolf is unbearable when anything comes their way to ever think about hurting his precious mates. If the pile of bodies surrounding them while they talk about freeing their youngest mate isn't enough proof, then Chan doesn't know what is.

Woojin sighs. "Fine. Patch up and then plan."

Aecha clears her throat. "Since we're going to the guard's station, it'll be easy to obtain a keycard that way. They're bound to have one in the drawers."

Chan stretches and feels a slight pull on his side where Woojin stitched him up. He sighs through the pain as he wraps an arm around Woojin's waist. Aecha goes to the door and freezes.

"Someone's coming," she whispers as she tilts her head, sniffing the air. "Shifters?"

She turns back to Chan, her eyes wide. "Shifters," she says again.

Chan understands what she's trying to say, but he doesn't like it. If shifters are coming their way, then they're going to have to fight again, but with Woojin semi bleeding out and not knowing what kind of shifter Aecha is, it's going to be a long fight.

Woojin rips himself out of Chan's hold and glowers at the door. He growls as fur sprouts from his skin, his last coherent words tell for Aecha to hide. She looks stunned for a second before running towards one of the back walls and staying out of sight.

Chan hears the shifters before he sees them. He hears Woojin snarl and his paws against the ground.

Don't shift, Woojin tells him.

"I need to," Chan says.

Don't.

"Woojin!"

Woojin snarls just as a wolf launches itself at the bear and its teeth digging into Woojin's flesh. The bear snarls and fights off the wolf.

Chan's attention is taken away from watching his mate fight when another wolf comes barreling towards him, its fangs dripping saliva. The wolf snarls and launches its attack.

He slams a solid fist into the wolf's jaw, listening to the loud crack and a loud yelp that follow. The wolf shows it's teeth as hit shakes his head and continues to pounce on Chan. He feels the teeth nipping at his skin as he tries to push the animal off him. Before he knows it, there's a bear sinking its teeth in the meaty part of Chan's leg causing him to really grit his teeth.

This is going to suck enough to where he isn't sure if he was going to be able to fully recover in time to save Jeongin.

 _No, don't think like that Chan,_ he tells himself. _You're going to save Jeongin, and you're going to be able to kiss all your mates. All eight of them._

He repeats those couple of sentences like a mantra instead of focusing on the pain and the shock from fighting animals stop him. He thinks of nothing else as he continues to pry the creatures off himself, his body filled with nothing more ripped flesh and bites marks.

The wolf inside him paces around, injured but pissed off and for the second time that day, Chan lets the animal take over.

If you ask Chan about this moment a couple of days later, he'll tell you that when he lets his wolf takeover, there was nothing else left for him to do. He trusts his animal to do the right thing and to help their mate with every he needed. But what Chan won't tell you is how he felt himself tear fur off wolf bodies, not caring at the blood that came into his mouth. To him, these were the people and the creatures that took his lovers from him. He's going to do anything in power to keep them from harming anyone else. Even if meant killing his own kind.

Chan also won't tell you that he was severely outnumbered and worried for a few seconds about dying. Everything had begun to look bleak for them for a couple of minutes,  his hind legs bumping into Woojin's back. For the first time in an even longer time, Woojin and Chan didn't know what to do. Both believed they were going to die that day in the hands of their main villain, fighting for the ones they loved.

In a way, Chan didn't mind. He was fighting for the ones he loved, he just regretted not holding his lovers enough or pressing kisses into their hair enough.

But that would be a couple of days from this moment.

Wolf Chan is fearless in every attack he bites out, showing no fear for when another wolf came towards him. Wolf Chan is ready to take down the entire station if it meant having the scents of family by his side.

Chan bares his teeth once more, pushing into Woojin as he continues to move backward.

The sound of clanking metal moving together takes half of Chan's attention away from the fight in front of him. He spares a glance, looking for where the sound is coming from and spots Aecha trying her best to climb the poles. He watches her as she begins to unhook the poles that once held Woojin.

A wolfish grin reaches his lips when he realizes what she's doing.

The poles, he tells Woojin and the bear glances to the side, his own lips curling a smile.

Chan hears the lock unclick and holds his breath for a moment, his figure transforming back into a human. A loud clank echoes through the room, everyone holding their breath and watching as the metal pole rolls around on the ground.

Chan is the first one to move just as there's another loud clang of metal.

The pole is a lot heavier than he's used to, but it's going to have to work. He swings it around, listening to the sounds of yelling coming from his large swing. His wolf howls in utter glee at the sound of their pained yelps.

There's a howl coming from the others, and he catches them looking up. Aecha freezes in her steps, eyeing the wolf from her perch above them. There's a look of questionable wonder on her face, and she makes a split second decision. Chan doesn't know if she knows how to fight or not, but the way Aecha leaps from the ceiling to the ground and on all fours is an impressive feat.  She hisses, baring her teeth as white and black sprouts from her skin.

Chan swings his metal pole at the person running towards Aecha's shifting form. He glances at Woojin who looks like he's having too much fun swinging his pole around like he's the Hulk smashing Loki around.

 _This is mildly entertainin_ g _,_ Woojin says when he catches Chan looking at him. I didn't know this was going to be this fun.  

Chan can't help the laugh that passes through his lips. He turns back to where Aecha stands or stood.

In her place is a massive white lioness with tiger stripes running down her side. Her teeth are a lot sharper than Chan's will ever be as she looks fierce in shaking out her mane. Chan pauses at that, knowing that only male lions have a mane and yet Aecha is entirely female. He'd begin to wonder about it when a wolf comes charging towards him. He pulls a Woojin, and Hulk just swings the metal pole like a rainbow and grins.

Maybe Woojin is onto something because Chan is enjoying this _too_ much.

Aecha leaps into action and if Chan is honest with himself, watching the white liger begin her attack is nothing but short of beautiful.

She attacks so viciously that by the time she's done with her share of wolves and bears, her pristine coat is dyed red. There isn't an ounce of regret in her eyes that Chan could see and something told him she didn't regret it one single bit.

Her eyes landed on Chan, and she nods her side to the side, towards the door.

Woojin drops his metal pole, his shoulders slumping a little as if he was sad that he had to let his weapon go. Chan almost caves telling Woojin that he could take it, but it's too big to carry around and would hinder their movements.

Now we go, Woojin says as he runs towards the door, Aecha's form taking after him.

Chan looks at the carnage the three of them had caused, a smile forming on his face. Blood, organs, and carcasses lie in the wake of their anger, something Chan doesn't see often. He would think his mind would be chaotic, yelling out to the dead but instead, there's peace. A quiet sense of 'oh, yes, I did just kill, and I need to move on or eat cookies. One of the two'.

He can't help the feeling of his mouth curling up into a smile. There's a gleam in his eyes that he knows is there, but once again, he finds himself not caring if his animal was out. They both wanted blood, and if blood is what they needed to gain their lovers back, then sure as shit, there was going to be blood that was going to be shed.

By the time, Chan closes the doors to Woojin's prison, Aecha has shifted back, her long white coat wrapped around her shoulders, hiding her bare body away from them. She looks almost at peace with herself.

"We need to move," she says looking past Chan and to they had both came, "before more come this way."

It's odd to Chan, the lack of alarms going off when he knows for a fact that most if not all the Red Eagle knew they were there. So why was everything so silent?

"I would think," Chan begins, digging his fingers into Woojin's fur as the bear walks beside them, "that the alarms would be going off."

"Not if they don't want to alert you that they know you're here."

“They're not being smart about it if people know about us already."

Aecha shrugs. "I don't know."

Woojin growls loudly. _We're falling into their trap._

"Then let us fall into their trap," Chan says out loud, and Aecha sighs. She looks down the hallway for a brief couple of seconds before she's turning her so fast Chan thinks she has whiplash.

"I know what to do, she says.

"For what?"

"To get in," she motions to the two of them like a child wanting a toy. "It's simple, and I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. For the eye, we can use one of the bodies back in the room. It would be a lot easier than trying to track down a guard."

"And the keycard?" Chan asks.

"We still need the desk for it as well as the medical supplies for you and Woojin."

 _She couldn't have thought of this when we were in the room?_ Woojin growls.

 _It's not like we have to backtrack to get it_ , Chan sighs.

_Fine, but I want to get the eye._

Chan hums.

Aecha mumbles something under her breath that Chan doesn't catch, but Woojin does. He lets out a low growl, walking briskly towards the woman and snapping at her fingers. She lets out a yelp and glares at the bear.

_Ask her why she keeps calling Jeongin, Jeonginnie. I want to know._

"You know Jeongin?" Chan asks, keeping surprise out of his tone.

Aecha freezes mid-step. She takes a moment before shaking her head and continuing on. "He reminds me of an old friend."

 _Liar_ , Woojin hisses, stopping to let Chan catch up with him. _She's lying._

 _I know_ , Chan says threading his fingers through Woojin's fur.

Aecha stops walking when she doesn't hear the two of them walking behind her and raises a brow.

"Aren't you coming," she asks placing her hands on his hips. Her jacket opens a little and scrambles to close it, her face turning red at almost exposing herself to a pair of male shifters.

Chan knows that women are sensitive about those things, but the women he grew up with could care less about what they wore and what they didn't wear in front of the men. Maybe that's just a wolf thing?

Woojin scoff.

 _It's wolf thing,_ he confirms, and Chan rolls his eyes and waits for Woojin to match his step.

They follow silently Aecha a few paces behind her, taking a moment to themselves.

Chan's fingers gently play with the strands in his fingers, feeling the shifter next to him. He feels the blood pumping through the muscular frame of the bear and hears the heart beating in his chest.

If anything, he's grateful for Aecha to for protecting them when they needed it the most. But he can't get it out of his head that it seems like Aecha knows something else like there's a secret running around Jeongin that only she knows.

 _I think she's playing us,_ Woojin says with finality in his voice after a few moments. _She's too convenient. Too many things happening around her that she doesn't know. She has to be someone high up faking her status._

Woojin's lips curls at the thought. _Who in their right minds would want to protect the people they've kidnapped? It doesn't make any sense, this woman. We need to be careful._

 _I know, Woojin, I know,_ Chan says watching as they come into contact with a scene Chan is familiar with. _Be ready for anything._

Woojin growls. _I am._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it's taken a hot minute for me to update this story and i'm sorry??? it's been a tad bit hectic with this story that i won't go into but i hope you enjoyed. also, fun fact: this is the longest chapter i have ever written in my life. 9k is a lot of words and those who do it a lot, y'all are amazing. 
> 
> also!!!! woojin's!!!! shifting!!! scene!!!! i'm like very VERY proud of it???? please love it a lot (also thank you mama julia for the advice you gave me ^^)
> 
> but anyways, if you would like to yell at me for not updating this fic, please do so on twitter (@iseemikimouse) bc i'm there, 99% of the time. also please a leave a comment and kudo if you enjoyed. i do try to answer if you comment so yeah. ^^ until the next time, my dears. ohhh, and please let me know if you see any mistakes, i tried. ;;


	3. hear the trumpets hear the pipers, one hundred million angels singin', multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum, voices callin', voices cryin', some are born and some are dyin', it's alpha and omega's kingdom come

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: BLOOD, GORE AND BLOOD. like a crap tone of blood..... :D

_ We've been found out, _ Chan says through group mate link.  _ Be careful.  _

Jisung says nothing but Changbin grunts as he keeps his eyes in front of him. There's worry coming from Chan, but the older shifter says nothing and shuts off the mate link. 

The area is too quiet for Changbin's liking, his mind also used to the mindless chatter and noises his mates would do. Their sounds would ground Changbin and make him focus on the task at hand. And maybe he shouldn't rely on others to help him focus, but they're so loud when they're talking that this quiet surrounding him is driving him mad. 

His mind calls out to his mates, wanting to listen to someone on the other side of his link even if it was just for breathing, but nothing comes. He lets out a low whimper which his wolf doesn't like and snaps its teeth at him. 

Changbin jolts. 

For as long as Changbin can remember, he and his wolf have been at odds and ends, always wanting something different.  When he was getting bullied when he was a child, his wolf wanted to rip out his bullies throats while Changbin wanted to nod his head and take the abuse. It's always been the Wolf dragging Changbin around while Chanbin would let him. 

But everything changed when their mates were taken. Gone in an instant were those push and pull emotions the two of them gave each other and in were the desire to find the men who are theirs. That’s when the bloodlust first began. To say that he was scared was an understatement, he was terrified.  

A couple of nights after the six were taken, Changbin sat down with himself and talked to the wolf that lives with him. To be honest, it was an odd conversation, but it was one that came with silent promises and a hopeful outcome. They needed to be able to work together to do what they must. The wolf agreed, and for the first time since Changbin had his wolf, they were one and bloodthirsty.  

His wolf snaps its teeth at him to focus because they're going to get their mates back and Changbin doesn't have time to think like that. He needs to get back on track and focus. 

Changbin ignores the odd feeling in his gut when he walks down the hallway, the different colors slowly blending together in reds and yellows, the Red Eagle's "theme" colors. They used to be beautiful colors to Changbin, the red and yellow reminding him of royalty but maybe that's why the Red Eagles decided to use those colors. 

He wonders what he looks like, the black fur against the red and yellow. He assumes like a dark smudge against colors of royalty. A feeling of possessiveness... no that's not right... a sense of elation rushes through his veins. He knows he doesn't go with the background, but he's still there, looking and waiting for the proper moment to attack. 

But the moment is gone the moment it comes. 

Instead, uneasiness sits at his core as he sweeps his gaze left and right like he's waiting for something to come out. The silence is defining and loud, two things they should never be when it comes to a place like this. It's always been loud, the building of the Red Eagle and the fact that this one is quiet enough for Changbin to hear his heartbeat, is enough for his hackles to rise. 

His wolf growls in discomfort, Chan's warning still fresh in his mind. 

Just when he notices the silence, a minuscule sound reaches his ears. It's coming from up ahead, which causes him to slow his steps. He sniffs the air to which he can smell a couple of people standing by. He can't tell how many there are, but there's enough for Changbin to try and make himself small. He knows that it won't do much as the color of his fur is a dead give away that there's something in the hallway that's not supposed to be there.

With his belly on the ground, he crawls to the corner and peers over it just enough to get a reading of how many people he has to deal with. 

The guard station is nothing more than a half-made wall with a single pillar on top of it. The wall itself is large enough to for a single computer, a cup of pens, and a tower of trays to hold paper and notes. 

There are three people at the guard station, two males and a female. One of the men is short and lanky, his eyes a bright blue and hair a dirty blonde. His lips are curled in a snarl like he's heard the worst news in the world. There's a quiet chuckle coming from the second man, his head is thrown back in silent laughter. He's a little shorter than the other man, but from experience, Changbin knows he's just as deadly as the other. 

The female looks bored out of her mind as she picks away at her nails. She barely sends them a glance as she sighs and clicks her tongue. The men look at her. 

"Hush," the first man says. 

"What?" says the female. "One of the mates might not even be here." 

"The growling from earlier tells me otherwise."

"Oh hush, Kwangsoo ssi. There's nothing to be scared of. Besides, we have weapons to protect ourselves." 

Weapons?

Changbin slides his eyes over to wall closest to the guard's station, a frown tugging at his lips. He can't see anything, which means he can't anticipate what type of injuries he might get. 

He takes a deep breath when a scent hits him like never before. It's a heavy scent of blood and fear laced with chocolate, more specifically hot chocolate. 

Changbin's wolf growls so loud in his head that for a moment, a chill runs down his spine. He's never heard anything like the growl that just came, and for the first time ever, he's scared to see what his wolf is going to do to those people. But while the thought might be scary to him, he knows that while his wolf is going to be enjoying the feeling of ripped flesh and blood in his mouth, he's going to be cackling to the side. The fuckers have it coming. 

The scent comes from a room that Changbin can't see very well. He sees an open door and one that's being closed by another man. When the man turns, something in Changbin freezes as he feels an emotion, he was sure that he would never feel again. 

Fear. 

True  _ fear _ . 

His wolf snaps his teeth at him, reminding him to calm down and breathe. He looks back to the newcomer. 

The newcomer is taller than all of three of the guards. His eyes are dark, holding something akin to sadistic as he smiles to the woman. He places the weapon he has in his hands, a metal bat with nails sticking out, on the counter and stands in front of the woman.  

"Hey babe," he says, his voice low and sultry.

Changbin blocks him out. He keeps his whine low as he slinks back around the corner to think of a plan. As much as he wants to cross the hall and head to where his mate is, he knows that he can't do that. He can't put his mate at risk like that, and the fact that he has to stop himself from crossing over is physically taxing. 

There are four humans out in the open, and he knows one weapon. The others could be just as gruesome or even more so but Changbin knows he has to do this. He'll be fine. This isn't his first mission where everything is a big mess like this one (although, this is the first one with his mates being in danger so maybe his rationality and his hesitancy to do certain things is a just cause). 

"You know," one of the guards says taking Changbin's attention away from trying to think of a plan. "I heard the director is surprised that the mates have taken this long to come." 

Someone snorts. "It took them long enough," another voice says. "Do you think they know?" 

"About what?" 

"How special the youngest is?" 

Changbin doesn't stop the low growl that passes through his throat.

Of course, they would be talking about how Jeongin is very special. His youngest mate wasn't like anyone else in the world having the powers that he does. There's no secret about Jeongin's dark magic as all dark mages have to be registered through the Mage's Council, but there was something else about Jeongin's magic. Something very few people in the world have, and if these assholes know about Jeongin's other power, then he's in more danger than they realize. 

With that revelation, Changbin feels cold,  _ bone cold _ . 

"I'm sure they do," one of the men says, Changbin recognizing the voice as the man with the bat. "They're not dumb. The mage is sure to tell his mates everything." 

A sinking feeling sits in Changbin's gut. 

“Besides," the woman says, "we're looking into dark magic and necromancy and if they always go together. Subject 2801 is a dark mage, maybe he's also a necromancer." 

Changbin stops breathing for a moment before he lets out a long sigh. They don't know yet, but they're trying to. Panic begins to run through his veins, but like always when Changbin's emotions begin to run wild, his wolf snaps at him, and suddenly everything is back as it should have been. 

He chooses not to reveal the information to the others just yet. Information like this would cause a more massive outcry from the others, but maybe that's what they need.

Changbin opens the pack link and feels a flood of emotion coming from Chan and from Jisung. 

Chan feels like he's happy, that something is finally going right, and that begins to calm him. There's only one reason why Chan would be feeling like this. 

He found someone. 

He doesn't know who just yet, but it's someone, and the sigh of relief that passes through his body feels lovely. One out of six. Someone is safe. Someone is safe. 

As much as a wolf can smile, he smiles, turning over to Jisung's side only for it to slide off. If Chan is happy and almost bouncing off the walls, then Jisung is dark and brooding. 

The emotions that Changbin can feel is too dark for the man who smiles like sunshine but, if he's honest with himself, he's not surprised. He's just worried because if Jisung loses his head now, there might not be anyone who could help grasp it back. He hopes and prays to any deity listening that Jisung stays sane and oh gods Changbin, you should have noticed something was up when you saw the red eyes. 

_ Jisung, calm down, he says in their link,  _ careful not to give Chan any input in their private conversation.  _ Please. _

_ Hyung, _ Jisung says.  _ I'm calm. _

_ Jisung.  _

_ I promise. _

Changbin huff but says nothing else, letting Chan's positive emotions seep back. He'll be fine, he tells himself. Jisung will be fine. But him on the other hand. He’s not sure. 

He feels the bloodlust from the Wolf seeping in, ever so deliciously as it entices him to kill, kill, and  _ kill _ . But he knows better. He mustn't let the bloodlust take over. He can’t. Not now, not ever.

It’s hard but he tries to turn his attention back to the situation in front of him, but another nudge comes to his mind, one he hasn't felt in a really long time. He blinks a couple of times and feels Woojin open their link with Chan and Jisung. 

_ Hello, _ Woojin says, and Changbin feels the relief from earlier hit him ten times more than before. For a brief moment, he lets his guard down and allows himself to feel Woojin's presence in his mind. He honestly wants to cry, and he might. 

_ Fuck _ , he says with tears in his voice. Woojin, of course, reprimands him, and the smile doesn't leave his face for a moment. 

_ I know, but hyun-  _ he pauses, blood rushing in his ears. The scent is much more fragrant from before. He doesn't stop his mouth in time.  _ Felix. _

Immediately, he shuts off his link, his focus back on the task at hand. He looks around the corner only to discover that there's no one at the guard's station. Instead, its void of any people and the scent of hot chocolate is more fragrant than before. His eyes slide to the door that's now open. Without a doubt, it's his turn to strike. 

He turns off his link just in case something happens to

With careful steps, Changbin slinks across the guard's station and goes into the room that has been opened the entire time. The room doesn't feel right to him, the actuality of it being open like it is. It feels like they were waiting for Changbin to come sauntering in, to catch him and by some dumb luck he did. 

Truthfully, he's expecting one of the humans to be sitting in the room with their weapons on full display, all of them metal bats with nails embedded in them. His mind and his wolf is ready to fight, but nothing is waiting for him in the room. Instead, the room is dark except for the mirror on the left. A panel of buttons sits on a cheap table with papers and pens scattered about. None of the buttons look like they would do much, but the big red button entices Changbin to want to press it. 

He looks away from the button to the rest of the room.

There are no chairs save for the single bench in the middle and a potted plant that looks too green for it to be real. A pair of heels sits in one of the corners, and that's it. 

He looks to the mirror, expecting to see his reflection but instead, he sees grey and metal. With a shuddering breath, he walks over to the mirror/window thing and looks into it the best he can. Chains hang from the ceiling in various lengths, some of them turning brown in color and others dripping with what Changbin doesn't want to believe is blood. The "blood" drips into large puddles on the ground, causing the wolf to want to growl and throw up at the same time. 

He tears his gaze away from the puddles and looks to the massive hanging figure in the middle of the room. His mouth opens just as a wave of hot chocolate comes into the room. The figure is unmoving as it circles the room, a panther's tail a few inches from the ground. His body is limp. When the figure turns where Changbin can see him, violet eyes are dazed and dull, two emotions the wolf would have never thought to see. 

Changbin shifts without meaning too, a low keen in the back of his throat. He places his hands against the glass hs heart breaking into a million tiny pieces as he watches Felix look so helpless as he dangles from the ceiling. 

His mind begins to scream Felix's name, but there's nothing. Not even a flinch coming from the other man. Felix continues to turn. 

He stops himself from banging on the window, not wanting to alert the four who were in the room. Looking at them carefully, he sees the four who were at the guard's station, all of them laughing at something Changbin couldn't hear. It made his blood boil to the point where he wasn't sure if he wants to tear them limb by limb or make their deaths quick. 

Maybe Jisung isn't the only one with insanity problems. The bloodlust is coming stronger than even and this time, Changbin isn’t sure he wants to stop it. 

His mind races as he tries to think of an idea to get Felix's attention and maybe the guards. There are many things he can do, bang on the window for attention but perhaps the guards wouldn't know its one of the mates. They could ignore the banging, and somehow that didn't sit right with him. He could, however, tap against the glass to get Felix's attention, if the panther wasn't too out of it. 

He taps on the glass, and nothing happens. Felix stays still. 

He taps again, and this time, he tries to tap something Felix could recognize. Neither one of them knew morse code, so that was out of the question, but maybe their song... that could work. 

He begins to tap  _ The Writer _ a little louder than before and Felix twitches. 

Changbin smiles and continues his song the best he can. 

He watches as Felix reacts to the song, his ears, and tail twitching along to the quiet beat he plays. Changbin is sad when he has to stop, but at least he knows that the other knows he's there and that's all Changbin can ask for. Taking a deep breath, he thinks of a plan to get the guards away from his mate, but he'll have to do it sooner than he wants. 

The woman stays in the corner while the men walk towards the middle, and suddenly the room grows that same bone cold. He can tell by the way they're walking that they are not going to be kind to Felix. 

Felix sees the men stalking towards him and chuffs, a noise he makes when he's terrified. Changbin almost begins crying there, but the moment one of the men swings his bat, his blood begins to boil instead. 

Felix's screaming is loud and piercing in his ears. His wolf begins to get restless because that's his mate getting beaten and he's not doing anything to stop the beating. The Wolf is pissed beyond anything Changbin has ever felt. He snarls as planning, and anything rational leaves his mind as he turns on his heel and looks towards the bench in the middle of the room. 

He thanks whoever was stupid enough to leave the door that the bench wasn't bolted to the ground. 

Stalking towards it, he feels something push into his mind and feels Jisung's quiet anger enter it. He takes a couple of breaths before speaking.  

_ They're going to kill him, _ he says.  _ They're going to kill him.  _

_ You're going to save him hyung,  _ Jisung says _ , his voice hard and filled with nothing but hate and disgust for these people. And you're going to bring him home and shower him with so many kisses that it's not funny. He's going to yell at you and curse for all those kisses he's going to get, and I'm going to pretend that I'm jealous.  _

Jisung pauses in his rant before snarling out a low,  _ kill them all, Seo Changbin _ . He closes the link. 

Changbin takes a couple more breaths to calm himself and the wolf down before he listens to Jisung's words. 

It’s here and it feels  _ great. _

A smile pulls at his lips, and Changbin swings the bench. 

The men swinging the bats stop their movements as Changbin swings again and again before it shatters. He wastes no time as he leaps through the broken window, shifting in mid-air. He lands on his feet, growling loud enough that it echoes in the room. The men and the woman look at Changbin in shock, almost like they couldn't believe a wolf is suddenly in the room, and it's just what he wants. 

He takes no time propelling himself off the floor and to the first man, the one who was laughing before. The man doesn't have time to react when Changbin sinks his teeth into the man's leg, ripping the limb from his body with a loud pop. A loud scream comes from the man as blood pours out of his body like a waterfall. 

Changbin attacks the other leg followed by an arm and the other. 

The man is screaming so loud that Changbin's ears are ringing, but he pays no mind to it. He's only paying attention to the way the blood tastes in his mouth. It's warm and disgusting at the same time, but his wolf is thriving off it. It wants more and  _ more _ . 

And the situation calls for it. 

With a toss of his head, he throws the limbless man to the side, blood dripping off his body. Fear permeates the air when his eyes land on the frozen humans. He snarls and moves onto his next victim. 

Horror filled screams continue to fill the room as he tears people limb by limb, the sound of skin ripping apart muted. They're so loud that Changbin is expecting more people to rush down the hallway to see what's happening but then maybe not. They have been torturing Felix and the others to the point where he's positive no one is going to be thinking twice about the screaming coming from the room. 

He drops the dead woman on the ground and stalks towards the last human in the room, every ounce in his body screaming for more blood. He barely recognizes the fear he felt earlier when he saw him for the first time but he’s not surprised. He’s in the middle of his bloodlust, of course, he’s not going to feel something as silly as fear. 

Why?

He pauses. Why? 

_ These people hurt Felix, _ his wolf tells him, and Changbin agrees, beginning again.  _ They've beaten Felix. They deserve to have their limbs ripped and eaten. They deserve everything and anything coming from them.  _

Changbin snarls and the man puffs up his chest like the wolf doesn't scare him. 

The action is odd to him, a human asserting his dominance over a creature of the wild, but he stalks closer. The man continues to puff up his chest and stares down Changbin, who finds the situation a little amusing. Maybe he can play with this prey, the other three weren't that much fun to  _ play _ with. 

Changbin sits and waits. 

The man, he never got his name, nor does he want it, looks confused for a moment before he hides the emotion. It seems like he takes a couple of deep breaths before rushing towards Changbin, ready to attack the shifter. 

But Changbin is ready for him. 

He taunts the man, making him believe that he actually has a chance to land a blow on him but he can't. That fact seems to piss the man off more as he swings his bat, the nails coming a little too close for Changbin's liking. 

The wolf snaps his teeth and breaks the skin on his arm. He hisses as Changbin bounces back and snarls. Surprisingly, the man _ hisses _ back. 

What an _ odd _ man. 

The man tries to attack again, but Changbin is fueled by rage, which is enough for him to get bored with the small game they were playing rather quickly. It ends the moment the human gets too close to Changbin's jaw, his arm coming off with ease. The man screams. 

He dies quicker than the others, but that might have something to do with the ripped-out throat, little strings of flesh the front of his head attached to the rest of his body. 

The Wolf is finished with his rampage. 

Changbin takes in swallows of breath as he stares out the door and into the empty hallway. He doesn't look behind him to Felix because he knows he's not going to like what he sees. Instead, he tries to quell the beast inside him because there's more than enough blood on the ground and at this moment, there shouldn't be anymore. 

His breathing comes out in loud puffs, and his wolf stops fighting him, and for the first time since he's been in this hell hole, his wolf is calm. It's not pacing or demanding to kill everything that walks (not that anything is walking aside from Changbin). It's peaceful and quiet, relishing the feeling of one of his missing mates near him. 

If he's honest with himself, he's scared to turn around. He's scared to turn around and see a dead Felix hanging from the ceiling. He doesn't want a dead Felix.  _ Oh, gods _ , he begins to think.  _ Please don't be dead.  _

He turns around and looks up a little bit, Felix's body too high for him to actually touch him. Felix's eyes are open and staring at Changbin like he's grown another head, and maybe he has. He's always been so careful in trying to keep his wolf's bloodlust down, but the rage coming from the Wolf and Jisung was too much for him. He hopes he just didn't scare Felix too much. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did something like that. 

"Ah," Felix breathes, and a massive weight lifts itself off Changbin's shoulders. 

He feels himself shift, nearly crying because Felix isn't dead.  _ Thank the gods, he's not dead.  _

He reaches out to touch Felix, but he's too short, and the panther flinches away from him. He whines at that prospect because maybe he did actually scare Felix and goddamnit, he really hopes not, but that's not important just yet. The younger is too high for Changbin to do anything, but there's no way to get him down. He doesn't know how the room works or if there's even a way to do it. Lords know if they were actually going to let Felix down or keep his strung out like a pinata. 

His mind goes to the panel inside of the room. There has to be something in that room. There has to be. 

"Lix," he mumbles and the reaction Felix releases another sad whine from Changbin's mouth. "I'll be right back." 

Felix doesn't say anything, but violet eyes watch as Changbin turns around and heads to the other room. He avoids the various body parts thrown across the room, and an odd satisfaction hits his stomach. He did this. He protected what's his, and he's proud of that fact. 

He opens his mind link to Jisung and sends a mental grin. 

_ I protect, _ he says, and Jisung hums. 

_ Limb by limb? _

_ Limb by fucking limb. _

Jisung feels happy, and truly Changbin finds himself understanding Jisung's bloodlust. It's a powerful feeling, taking another person's life and one that's easy to get lost in. But that's something for future Changbin to worry about. 

He keeps the link open as he finally makes his way back into the room and stares at the panel. There are no labels on the device which makes everything harder. He doesn't want to accidentally hurt Felix more than he might have already and the people who might have known are laying in different pools of their blood. Guessing might be the only way. 

He sighs and shakes his head. 

No. 

There has to be another way. There's always another way to do things. 

_ Think Changbin. Think.  _

His mind continues to come up blank, everything turning back to playing the guessing game with the buttons but Felix. 

He looks to the middle of the blood-stained room, watching the younger twirl at a slow pace. He seems to be more relaxed than before, his body finally sagging against the chains holding him up. Changbin looks back to the panel. 

There has to be a clue somewhere. 

_ Come on, Seo Changbin.  _

His head tilts to the side after a couple moments of useless thinking. There's a sound. Footsteps. Human footsteps. 

They might know. 

His wolf doesn't stir at the sound of the footsteps or the thought of tearing people limb by limb. It's thirst for blood quelled at the moment. It knows that Changbin is more than capable of taking care of himself without it's help. This time, it'll let Changbin take care of protecting his mate. 

The footsteps are coming the way Changbin did, which means whoever is coming towards him won't see the blood first. They'll see the room that he's in. 

Perfect. 

He smiles as he slinks into one of the dark corners of the room and waits for his prey to come in. There's not much time, though as he needs to act quickly with his attacks. He'll get one of them to put Felix down, and then he'll kill him. 

Taking a couple of deep breathes, he calms himself before he begins his next assault. He has to because he needs to use his head this time. He's not relying on the Wolf to help him, and the thought leaves him giddy. He's excited for this chance to feel skin hitting skin or even to hear the cracking of bones. 

He's too caught up in his head that he almost misses when someone steps into the room, a low gasp taking him out of these thoughts. 

"What in God's name?" the man asks. 

"Sir, what the fuck?" another one says. "This is a massacre." 

The first man sucks in a breath and puts his hands in his pockets, the white coat covering most of his body. 

"They're here," he whispers. 

"Sir?" 

The Sir looks at his partner and freezes when he catches Changbin's eyes. 

_ Now.  _

Without a sound and a scream coming from the second human man, Changbin pounces and snaps the man's neck. He falls unceremoniously to the ground. The Sir yelps and jumps back, the stench of fear in the air. 

"Hello," Changbin says, stepping over the body. "I need your help." 

Sir says nothing, his entire body shaking because holy fuck. Changbin could care less, however. He has something he needs to do. 

"I would like to take my mate down," he purrs. "Can you help me?" 

Again Sir says nothing, the human frozen in his spot which begins to anger Changbin. He stops himself before he gets angry though. He can't get angry right now. 

Taking a deep breath, Changbin smiles. 

"Please, help me get my mate down." 

Whatever daze the man was in, he snaps out of when Changbin smiles. He's still shaking, but Changbin understands. He would be shaking, too if someone were staring at him like he was. And covered in blood? Yeah, he's surely very terrifying right now. 

"Please," the man pleads. "Don't kill me. I'll help you, just don't kill me." 

Changbin wants to snort because  _ really _ ? This man is begging for his life when his mates have been doing to the same and for what, to get beaten and bruised like they are?  _ Fuck no. _ The fucker is going to die just like the rest of them. But the man won't help unless Changbin promises not to kill him which is a problem in its own. 

_ Or is it?  _

"Deal," Changbin says. "I won't kill you." 

The man nods quickly and releases a loud sigh. His hand rests on his chest as he breathes rapidly. His fingers drum almost as if he's trying to regulate his heartbeat. 

But he's taking too long. "Felix," Changbin snaps. "Down." 

Sir turns to face the panel and studies it for a moment. He looks back to Changbin who smiles at him before pressing one of the buttons. A low whirl fills the air, and they both look up to see Felix descending to the ground. Changbin's horrid smile turns into a fond one as he watches, Felix gently laying on the ground. 

"Thank you," Changbin says with every ounce of gratitude to Sir. "Thank you." 

Sir nods his head and gives Changbin a sheepish smile as his body relaxes. 

_ Now.  _

"Thank you," Changbin says again. "And goodnight."

Sir sucks in a breath as Changbin's body sprouts fur and lets the Wolf out. 

"You said you weren't going to kill me!" Sir shouts as he scrambles out of the room. 

While Sir is correct, he's also incorrect. Changbin said  _ he _ wasn't going to kill him but never said anything about t _ he Wolf _ . 

The Wolf pounces on the man, wanting a quick kill but Sir fights. While it's admirable, it's still not enough. He loses his leg first as that's what the Wolf captured first before ripping out his throat. His screams too echo in his head, but that's all they'll do. After today, all the screaming that's coming from his mate's captors will be erased, almost like they never happened. 

Changbin shifts again. 

"The Wolf sends his regards," he says before leaving more dead bodies where they were. 

He rushes towards Felix, his hands gentle as they cradle the broken body close to him when he falls to his knees. A whine passes through his lips when he notices that Felix's eyes are closed and his half shift gone, leaving him very much human-looking. 

Changbin's heart breaks because Felix looks too fragile like he can break at any given moment. His skin is too pale, too much blue showing, too much anything. There's bile coming up Changbin's throat. 

_ Fuck.  _

Changbin lets his one of his hands brush against Felix's mate bite causing the panther's eyes to snap open. Purple eyes are wide as they stare into blue opens. Changbin pushes the bile down and smiles the best he can without threatening his mate. 

"Hi," his voice cracks, and Felix violently flinches away from him. Changbin stills.

"You're not him," Felix croaks, his voice sounding like he swallowed nails. His eyes show things Changbin can't imagine but those words, they hurt more than anything. "You're not my Binnie hyung." 

Every cell in Changbin's body feels like breaking when he hears those words tumble from Felix's mouth. His wolf whines in his head, the sound loud and high pitched. Usually, he would tell his wolf to shut up, but the pained whines coming from the animal feel just right. 

Changbin swallows. "But I am. I am your Binnie Hyung." 

"No," Felix says, his eyes beginning to turn wild and look everywhere that isn't where Changbin stands. "They told me he wasn't coming. He's not coming." His voice cracks and with it Changbin's heart. 

What did they do to Felix for him to sound so broken? For him not to believe that Changbin is in front of him, caressing his face so gently, so lovingly? 

Changbin wants to scream, but he only pastes a small smile on his face. "I am Changbin," he says quietly. "I promise." 

"No!" the panther screams, his voice bouncing off the walls. "You're not Changbin. They're not coming. They're not coming!" 

Just from the sheer volume of Felix's screams causes Changbin to jolt back, bringing the other man with him. The action forces an even louder cry to fall from Felix's mouth. He sounds so terrified like he's in some sort of delusion and has no way to come out. 

Changbin sucks in a breath, coming out of the daze of listening to Felix scream. If the younger doesn't believe that Changbin is Changbin, then the only way to prove that Changbin is, in fact, himself is to prove it... right? 

"Your name is Felix," Changbin begins slowly. "Lee Yongbok to be exact and you like the stars." 

Felix stops screaming and just stares at the other. 

"You and Jeongin love learning about the stars because they remind you of your freckles and how much all of your mates love them. Minnie hyung likes to create stories with you on how they came to be and how your freckles create only one Lee Felix."

Changbin watches as clarity begins to shine in those soft purple eyes causing a small smile to grow on his face. He cups Felix's face, holding the soft cheeks in his hands.

"You wanted to name all your freckles odd names so you could point to them and says 'this is Daesung and this is George.' but Jeongin found it odd. Jeongin is the one who named Hyunjin's mole Franco because he thought the name would fit Hyunjin's under eye and you hated the name because it didn't fit, but you couldn't tell Innie ‘no’ so you let it be." 

Keep going, his mind tells him as he looks at the hint of hesitance in those staring purple orbs. 

"Your mate tattoo is along your ribs, and you wouldn't stop laughing when Seungminnie, Jiji, and Innie was reciting the spell. Your eyes they crinkle in the corner, and they look like they hold stars in them and they always sparkle, and I'm always reminded of Christmas every time you smile because my heart does this flop and, oh my gods, Felix." 

"Hyung," Felix's cracks, reaching and placing his hands against Changbin's cheeks. A loud sob passes through his lips. "Hyung. You're real." 

"Of course, I'm real. Who would bring you ice cream at night after a nightmare?" 

Like a mantra, Felix continues to chant that Changbin is in front of him while Changbin lets him. He doesn't answer Felix anymore, making the man slowly come to terms that he's safe now. He doesn't have to be scared anymore. 

But as much as Changbin wants to let Felix breathe a little, he can't allow too much time. They're not out of the woods just yet, and if those footsteps coming their way is any indicator that they need to get moving, then he doesn't know what is. 

Without warning Felix of the impending visitors coming their way, Changbin looks around the room for a place to hide his mate for a short while. He sees nothing but open space and a single pillar that may or may not conceal Felix entirely. He looks down to his mate in his arms who is staring back at him with those wide purple eyes of his and smiles gently. Felix returns the smile. 

"The pillar?" he whispers quietly turning his head to look. It's then that Changbin sees something in Felix's ear. It's long and grey, almost like the Bluetooth that Jisung is wearing. He reaches out for it, which causes Felix to stiffen under his touch. 

He looks back to Changbin. 

"It's a limiter," he says. "They put it on us so we can't feel the others or talk to them."

Anger grows in Changbin's soul, but he supposes it makes sense. If he were holding people hostage with this amount of force, he too wouldn't want anyone to talk to someone else. But that doesn't mean it make him upset. 

The footsteps are getting closer, which causes everything in Changbin to freeze. The Wolf snaps its jaws at the prospect of protecting its mate again, growling low in Changbin's skull. Changbin agrees. 

_ Protect Felix.  _

Without thinking twice, Changbin places his hands under his younger lover and shushes him when he picks him up. The Wolf whimpers at the sound as Felix curls himself into Changbin's body. He looks at Changbin with those purple eyes and all Changbin wants to do is run somewhere far but he can't. He has a job to do, and he's going to do it. 

He's going to free his mates. 

Quickly, he strides across the room, placing Felix against the pillar and out of sight. He looks at his slightly dazed mate who can only smile at him before focusing into the room where there's nothing but carnage and body parts. Once again, that sick satisfaction of 'I did this' rushes through Changbin's body as he feels himself begin to smile. 

The bloodlust of The Wolf begins to grow again but maybe not this time. Call him sick and twisted but this time, instead of letting his wolf take over and his bloodlust being predominant, he wants his. He wants to be able to feel the life leaving a body of the people who hurt Felix. He wants to be the one to feel the bones popping out of place and possibly on the ground. He wants to feel it all and not let the Wolf take over. 

...

And the Wolf has no problem with that. 

The Wolf's bloodlust lessens but it's still there, feeding into Changbin's and it feels terrific. 

Walking over to one of the male torsos that still has pants, he takes them off, not wanting to fight with without them. It could be a huge distraction as he too needs to protect himself. The pants are a little large, but they'll do. Slipping them on, he stands in the middle of the room, chest bare and with borrowed pants. Blood stains the ground and some parts of his body, but he doesn't care. 

Looking around the room, he fully takes it in but this time not in 'a need to get Felix out as soon as possible' but in an 'I need to know where everything is just in case I need to use something' way. The only new are the body parts and the metal bats that he might be able to use. He rounds up the bats, placing them in the center of the room where it would be easier to grab them. He stares at them for a couple of moments, wondering how many times they had been swung, hitting Felix's body. Was it this one that caused Felix to scream out or was it this one? 

Changbin takes a deep breath.

That moment is done and over with. He doesn't need to continue to think about it because there's nothing to think about. Felix is safe, and now he'll always be safe. 

He continues to stare at the room, noting the nooks and crannies around as they could use them to hide or even the humans. He sees the longest one, somewhere in the back and in perfect sight of the door. It's also in front of Felix which means, Changbin has to make sure no one gets back there. 

It's faint, but he still hears it along with the cocking of a gun. His stomach sinks just a little because while he may be of a lot of things, he definitely wasn't bulletproof, and that gun wasn't going to be pretty. There's nothing in the room to protect him from bullets as he frantically looks all over the place. 

His eyes travel to the side where the broken two-way mirror sits. Half of the bench he used to crack the glass is hanging out when Changbin gets an idea. It might not be the best one, but it might do, but he has to hurry. 

As he bolts across the room, grabbing the bench, he wishes he could do magic like his mage mates. He would be able to reinforce the bench to make it stronger against the bullets, but he's not, and he's going to have to make do with what he has. 

He sets the bench in the middle of the room, the legs facing the back wall. The frame is so large that only the top of his head is showing and while that might pose a problem, in the long run, it might be okay. 

The footsteps grow louder, and Changbin smiles, readying himself. Popping one of the table's leg out of place, he weighs the item in his hand. He thinks for a moment, before putting in on his shoulder, like he's ready to launch the piece of metal at the first person he sees

And he does. 

It's a woman who walks into the room first. Her hair is in a bun and a broad smile on her face. She carries some kind of long stick that crackles with every step she takes, filling the room with a faint scent of electricity. The smell causes Changbin to suck in a quiet breath before hurling the leg into the air. 

The woman has no time to react before a large piece of metal is coming towards her, piercing her stomach and pinning her against the wall. The smile slides off her face, easily being replaced with one of horror. She stares at her stomach as red seeps into her clothes. She looks up and locks eyes with Changbin whose smile grows wider when she begins to cough up blood. It takes a couple of moments, but she stills.  

More footsteps causing Changbin to sigh. He begins his countdown when the bullets start raining in. Ducking his head, he breathes through his mouth, feeling the pelting of the rounds against the table. They don't pierce to which he's lucky for. 

He plans his next move and wastes no time picking up the metal bats and popping off the remaining table legs. He can't see, but he's trusting his ears for this next part. He hears heavy breathing coming from the left side of the door, and maybe the sound of two sets of footsteps. To the right, he only hears a long drawn out sigh and a single step forward. 

He takes a deep breath before peaking towards the top, rapidly launching the three table legs. Two of them make their marks, the sound of gunfire slowly coming to a close. He hears the dropping of guns, one sounding to close for his liking, gurgling, and gasps for air as the last gunman continues to shoot. There's a hitched breath causing the rain of bullets to become faster and more frequent than before. 

The bench is doing its job of making sure Changbin isn't going to be bullet-ridden, but there's only so much damage it can take. He peeks around the bench, mindful of the bullets coming his way to see there the too close gun not far from where he's standing.

He looks to the last gunman, a man with severely fried hair and his gun close to his face.  He's on one of his knees, almost as if guarding the small group of people who stand behind him. Some of them hold weapons Changbin hadn't seen before, long swords curved at the tips much like scythes, while others hold electric spears and poles. The air continues to crackle with electricity, which causes Changbin to shudder at the thought. He's worked against electricity before he just doesn't like to. He thinks of when Ravn wouldn't stop laughing when he tried to grab his sword by the tip, causing Changbin to jolt at the sensation. He remembers trying to defeat the lightning mage, only for him to trip over his feet and snort as he consumed the dirt from the training room. 

It's going to be an exciting fight, he thinks to himself. A very exciting fight. 

If Changbin can take out the last gunman, then he's free to get rid of his metal shield. He just needs to get to the gun that's too close but too far. He bites his lip and takes another deep breath. Counting to five, he sprints to the weapon, the gunman taking notice of Changbin the moment he stepped out.  He continues to shoot while Changbin continues to evade, finally grabbing the gun. 

The metal feels heavy in his hand as he's not used to shooting weapons. He's trained, yes, but the Organization doesn't require their agents to use them with most of them having their own weapons. 

As quick as he can without his shield, Changbin shoots, grinning when a hole appears in the center of the man's head. 

The gunfire stops as the man falls to the ground, his eyes open with the light leaving them. 

Changbin flicks his gaze to the group of people, noting that there about five people he has to fight, two women and three men. He glances down at the electric weapons and sneers. Those are going to be the ones that are going to cause him the most trouble, but he supposes he's going to have to make do. Besides, if those weapons are anywhere near Ravn's lightning, then he won't have a problem. He's been shocked one too many times to really think about the consequences of being electrocuted. 

Three. 

Two. 

One. 

The two women come at him first with their odd-shaped weapons, their jabs nicking him in a couple of places. One of the men follows suit, swinging his electric spear wildly. 

Their fight becomes a flurry of dodging and loud snaps of static, but Changbin cannot help the smile that's on his face. He feels his eyes crinkle in the corner as he sweeps one of the women off her feet. He slams his knee into one of her breasts, causing her to scream at the pain. She falls just as his legs sends the second woman's head at an odd angle. There's not a snap of her neck, but it was so close, Changbin can feel it. 

For the longest time, Changbin had always fought in wolf form, the creature always having a little bit of bloodlust when it came to his job. Changbin was one to never really understand why the beast loved the taste of blood on his teeth or why the feeling of bones snapping was appealing, but maybe from this fight, he finally realizes what feeling his wolf has been going through. 

_ His wolf?  _

Huh. 

He likes the sound of that. 

Not The Wolf but  _ his _ wolf. 

His wolf keens a little bit of being accepted a little more, but this isn't the time or the place for this. If anything, then it would be after they have gotten out. 

The hand to hand combat comes out a little more forcibly with the sudden acceptance of his wolf. In the back of his mind, he pictures Jisung giggling in the background and cheering for Changbin when they began to first fight Monsta X in one of the tournaments the Organization was hosting. He imagines Seungmin's smiles as he uses the man's force against himself, taking the spear from his hand and lobbing his head off his body. His head makes a loud splat on the ground as his body sinks to the ground. 

One down, four to go. 

He has a spear now and the uses to fight off the second woman. The metal clashes, the sound loud against the wall but her screams are more deafening as strong currents flow through her body. Changbin grins when she drops her weapon as he goes straight for the kill. He pierces where her heart is, the sound of cracking bone and pained gasps come out of her mouth. He pulls out the spear, causing blood to pour out of her body in waves. With a quiet breath, he slits her throat and allows her body to fall on its own. 

The last woman is on the ground, nursing the pain in her chest from Changbin's knee. She writhes on the floor, her pale eyes wide as she watches Changbin stalk closer to her. She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out as Changbin swiftly slits her throat. She chokes for a second before lifting her lips in a bloody smile. Changbin stabs her chest as he feels a searing pain in his side. A low hiss falls from his lips as he looks and the bitch stabbed him. He should have known. 

His body begins to feel heavy, but there's nothing he can do about it now. There are still two more people that need to be taken care of. 

The actual fight between the three asshole humans and Changbin lasted no more than a couple of minutes, the last two men watching in morbid fascination at the way Changbin moved. But them not moving is their mistake.

Changbin kills them quickly enough that it's almost laughable. They had been so caught off guard that it was easy to slice off an arm and pierce through a stomach. Blood had splattered all over his face from slicing a throat, the iron heavy on his tongue. 

As the last man falls to the ground, Changbin drops the spear in his hand and looks to the room. It's spinning in a way it shouldn't, but he doesn't care. There's blood everywhere, coating the once grey room in a deep sinister red. There are more bodies than before with faint screaming in the back of his mind, but that smile is still on his face. 

This is the perfect scene for humans to believe that all magical creatures were monsters but can you blame Changbin for all the blood and body parts? They had taken and tortured something of his, of course, he's going to fight back to get what he loves back. Of course, there's going to be blood and body parts strewn across the walls. 

His mind pauses in thought, his body beginning to sink to the ground. 

Something that's his? What's his? 

His mind and his body begins to feel heavier than before, the wound on his side pulsing with every breath he takes. He's confused because why is fighting? And why is in this room of body parts and dead people? 

What's going on? 

Something moves in the far corner, behind the only pillar in the room. He tilts his head because what is that? But is it 'what'? It looks more like a 'who' but he can't tell. 

He falls to the floor, and there's a rush in his ears.

Is there someone talking? 

Who are they calling? 

"-ung!" 

What? 

Something touches his face to which he has half a mind to swat it away, but the feeling against his skin sings. It's gentle and soft, two things he hasn't (has he?) felt before. 

His vision swims for a second before he sees purple. Bright purple. Purple that used to bring smiles on a freckled face. Purple that used to speak to him during late nights of stargazing where he'd read stories about worlds far away. Purple where he always thinks of royalty as there's not a single story in the world that doesn't have purple as a color of a royal. 

_ Changbin hyung. _ The voice is gentle in his mind, almost like it's scared that he's going to lash out. _ Hyung.  _

Changbin groans. 

_ Fight it hyung. Fight the poison. _

Poison? What poison? 

_ You can do it hyung. Please.  _

What poison is he fighting? There's no poison in his system. There's nothing in his system, only purple. 

_ Purple? _

_ What? Oh. Hyung, look into the purple and fight. Fight for the purple.  _

Fight for the purple? What does the purple mean? Why is there so much purple in his vision?

But wait. 

Why is the purple suddenly gone? 

Purple? 

Purple? 

_ Purple?  _

Something sharp sinks into his throat and what the fuck? That shit hurts. 

But it works like a charm. 

Suddenly, he's hit with emotions, the scent of iron, and a feeling in his arms that he hasn't had for such a long time. His mind is buzzing with worried words coming from Felix that make sense but no at all. He jolts because there are still teeth in his throat and holy fuck everything is being to hurt. 

Felix pulls away from his throat and smiles, full and bloody. 

"Hyung," Felix says, and Changbin remembers. 

He's supposed to be saving his mates, the people who mean more to him than anyone else in the world. How he had forgotten that is beyond him, but when he feels the throbbing on his side, maybe it's beginning to make sense. 

He looks into Felix's shining purple eyes and smiles the best that he can. 

"Welcome back," Felix says. 

All reason for the situation they're in flies away like butterflies on a warm spring day. Something warm spreads through Changbin's body as he surges forward to press his lips against Felix's. Sparks erupt from his skin as he just sinks into the feeling of Felix on his lips. The tiny nips against the seam of his lips and the barely there taste of chocolate ice cream are things that are just inherently Felix sit on Changbin's tongue. 

"Binnie hyung," Felix whispers against his lips. 

"Safe," Changbin mumbles. "You're safe now." 

Felix presses another gentle kiss. "I'm safe." 

And like a tidal wave hitting the shore, relief floods Changbin's system. Felix is safe, and he's here, and  _ he's _ alive. 

Felix  _ is _ alive. 

Felix is _ alive _ . 

_ Felix is alive _ , he says through the pack link. A loud yell comes from Chan, and a quiet sob follows from Jisung. Woojin's presence is soft and gentle like the bear is typically, but there's happiness radiating from him. 

_ Lixie _ , Jisung says. 

_ Jiji, _ Felix replies the smile on his face blinding as he sinks into Changbin's arms.  _ Hi. _

_ Felix, _ Woojin says, and that's all it takes for Felix's shoulders to shake a little. Changbin feels soft tears against his skin as he wraps his arms around the smaller man in his arms. 

_ Felixie,  _ Woojin says again, his voice wavering. 

_ Here Jinnie hyung _ , Felix whispers. _ I'm here.  _

Changbin can tell that Woojin wants to break, but they're in no situation where they can actually feel relieved. They're still in too deep, and there are still mates missing. 

His head snaps up when the sound of faint footsteps come from somewhere down the hall and while usually, he ready to fight, the poison in his system is still kicking around, still running through his bloodstream enough to where he feels slightly dizzy. He needs to take a couple of moments before fighting again, but more importantly, he needs to take a Felix somewhere that isn't a room painted in scarlet and in body parts. 

"Felix," Changbin says softly. "We have to go." 

The soft panther only nods against Changbin's chest, strands of matted orange hair lightly brush across his bloodstained cheek. He pulls himself from the embrace and stares at Changbin, a small smile on his slip lips which causes Changbin to jerk backward. 

In all of his worried about getting Felix to safety, he hasn't taken a good look at his younger mate. Mentally he berates himself from doing so and takes in the sight of Felix. 

The young panther's left eye is almost swollen shut while green and yellow bruises litter the right side of his face. His lips are swollen and split in different places, tiny trickles of blood drip on his chin. As gentle as he can, he drags his fingers across Felix's torso, causing the other to jerk in response. Painful tears fill his eyes, and Changbin knows that there's no way for him to hurriedly walk through the hallways in this condition. Neither one of them are in any shape with blood dripping off their bodies, but they need to move on before someone else comes. 

"Come on, Lix," Changbin says again and Felix nods. 

_ Find Seungmin, _ Chan says before cutting off the link. 

A beat passes. "I could hear him," Felix says out loud with a long hiss of pain. "Seungmin. I could hear his screams." 

Changbin lets out a long shaky breath, his wolf ready to jump and attack those who have been continually hurting his mates once. The animal begins to pace around in his mind and snaps its teeth in preparation, the bloodlust starting to enter his mind once more. Unlike before, when he was walking towards Felix, he doesn't push it away and lets it fester in his mind.

His wolf smiles. 

"Where?" Changbin asks, trying to keep the elation out of his voice at the prospect of attacking again. 

"Down the hall, I think. We couldn't say anything because of the limiter, but he was so loud that I could hear everything," Felix's voice begins to crack. "I've never heard him in so much pain, hyung. He kept crying and screaming, and I have no idea what they were doing to him. None. Hyung. Seungminnie is so very hurt, and I'm scared that he's going to be dead by the time we find him." 

Changbin shakes his head. "Seungminnie is strong. So very strong. He's going to be alive when we find him." 

"Hyung you didn't hear him."

"Believe me, Felix. He's going to be alive, and I'm going to rip these people limb by  _ fucking _ limb and if I have to eat them, then so be it." 

Felix says nothing and leans back into Changbin's embrace. Small hands wrap themselves around Changbin's neck as the wolf places his hands on Felix's waist, picking up the man. He carries him like a mother would to her small child and towards the door. He doesn't look back to the carnage he caused, that feeling of satisfaction never leaving. He does, however, peek outside the door to make sure that no one else is coming down the hallway despite the faint sound of footsteps. 

"Promise?" Felix questions. 

"Promise?" Changbin questions back. 

"Limb by limb?" 

Changbin snarls. "Of course." 

And he means every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... 
> 
> .......
> 
> ............. hi? 
> 
> this chapter actually has been ready for a while. i just do this thing where i can't update until the next chapter is completed, and while it's not, it's super close. i have a lot of people to thank for helping me with this chapter... well really three, tinnie for choosing changlix songs, tez, for cheering me on, and julia for also cheering me on and giving me advice for the gore. i'm still working on the gore aspect of this story as i think it's severely lacking BUT i've never written anything like this so i'm not too surprised...? 
> 
> but anyways. 
> 
> thank you so much for reading this. i have been thrilled to edit this chapter as i had so much fun but that just might be me. 
> 
> if you would like to scream at me for anything, please do so on my twitter (@iseemikimouse) or my cc (@iseemikimouse) or in the comments. i enjoy reading comments and i cherish each and every single one of them. also if you haven't and would like to, please give a kudo~
> 
> with that being said. i hope y'all enjoyed! have a great weekend, stay hydrated, and until the next time~ :D
> 
> (also please excuse any mistakes you see. i don't have a beta reading this so it's just me and grammarly...)


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